The Good Son
by Hitoko-sama
Summary: Naruto's father adopts Sasuke after a horrible accident. For a politician all press is good press. Sasuke also seems like he's well behaved. But of course things are never what they appear when hidden under the mask of the 'good' son. YAOI, NARUSASU/ only some SASUNARU WARNING: Inaccuracies in laws are acknowledged as for the sake of drama and nothing more.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so I've finished the Ramen Rivalry and Perfection…So I'm a little sad ya know, don't got no new fic in which Sasuke and Naruto are all in each other's business. BUT that was all changed when xXOtherAliceXx suggested a wonderful idea to me…It was too great to pass up. And now I shall embark on this idea! I hope you enjoy it, it is dedicated to my lovely xXOtherAliceXx. Naruto's PV  
>-<strong>

You know that extremely awkward moment when your father comes home and tells you he's adopting another child who is your age? You don't? There's probably a reason for that, either that or your father isn't a politician. This would probably all make sense if I started at the beginning.

My name is Uzumaki Naruto, son of the current mayor of Kohona, Namikaze Minato. Currently I'm serving out my final year at my high school, at a very normal age of eighteen. I'm what a person would consider a D average student. I just really don't care about it and why should I? If I actually tried I could make something of myself but I really don't see why. All people would do was compare me to my father; I hate comparisons. They never allow you to see the true person underneath. So I decided my junior year that I could really care less, which is when my so called downward spiral began. All considering, my spiral wasn't exactly on a direct collision with anything; I'm not a bad kid. But, of course, when you're a public figure like my father is, everything connected to it, ME, is criticized and picked at; everything I do, say, or even think is up for jabs. I could be worse, give the press a real field day, by doing drugs in a back alley with some guy named Slappy, who is a prostitute on the side when he isn't dealing blow.

Not like I really could though. My father would have such a fit; he'd probably send me to rehab and then to some boarding school in another country. Not that he'd really want to do it, but he has to keep up appearances. Even so I have to keep myself contained to dull roar so my bad decisions won't affect my father's life. Of course me being a bad student has already started to affect his campaigns and following. Apparently if you're son's a D student it's a sign that you aren't capable of being mayor of a town. People are so funny when they're like that. They can just never see beyond mistakes and see the person underneath; they need a reason, to hate, to discriminate, to just be a general dick to everyone!

But because of my mistakes, a challenger for my father's position came forward. The head of the richest family in Kohona, Uchiha Fugaku. He started to challenge my father's ethics and family manner because his children, Sasuke and Itachi, were the greatest beings in existence. There's a good bit of sarcasm being dashed over that. But besides that both of them were proclaimed geniuses, nothing like me. My father was not pleased at all by this sudden and definitely more powerful opposition. I, of course, wasn't bothered at all. I thought that maybe if my father lost this election to the Uchiha then he would actually want to be home with me and spend actual time together. It's an insane thought really.

I'm not saying this because I have some beef with my old man. Quite the contrary, I love him, a lot. He's just, well, gone all the time. He works late hours, is always gone by the time I get up, you know that deal. But he tries to spend time with me when he can; we go on vacation every year and he tries, bless his heart, to listen to my problems like all good parents do. But he's easily frustrated so sometimes it's hard for him to listen to what I have to say. But whatever, most parents do that shit. They can't just listen, they have to put in some kind of wisdom that doesn't apply, always have to say_ SOMETHING. _Uh, I swear no one knows how to listen these days.

But back to the awkward situation which was aforementioned. Well, the reason why it was just a bad idea all around was because my father wanted to adopt none other than Uchiha Sasuke. I know what you're wondering. Why the hell is Sasuke up for adoption? Was he disowned? Did he runaway? Did Fugaku just want him gone? None of the above actually, as much as I wished them to be true. It's because…His family is dead. About a month ago his mother, father, and brother were all traveling to go to some press conference; Sasuke himself was at some prep school so he wasn't with his family. It had been raining, heavily. His father lost control of the car and well, the rest is history. Sasuke's mother and father both died in the crash. Itachi, however, managed to survive but his body was in bad shape, and I'm not exaggerating. According to this article I read, he broke both his legs, one of his arms, snapped his collar bone, and suffered a concussion, and that's not even including all the other minor injuries. He was apparently lucky…I wouldn't call that lucky but eh, he did survive.

But what was the most fucked up part about it? Sasuke didn't know his parents were dead until a week afterwards! What kind of bullshit is that? But, as terrible as this sounds, it gives a sense of perspective into their family lives. Sasuke wasn't obviously close to anyone since he didn't even try to contact them while he was at school. I can excuse Itachi, I mean the guy got fucked up, it's not like he could call Sasuke. But Fugaku obviously didn't care much about Sasuke since he sent him somewhere where he could not get news easily.

Now I know what I thought when my father talked about the adoption, Sasuke can just go live with Itachi. Well, apparently not. Since Itachi's injuries were so severe he's going to be in the hospital for months because of their extremity. I guess it was lucky their family was so rich since Itachi's bills were bound to be astronomical. But, that led me to conclusion number two, Sasuke could easily live on his own in his old house. Yet another no. Since Itachi was the oldest of the family he inherited everything and actually banned Sasuke from returning there. Something about how he didn't want Sasuke to be alone in such a big house, it was understandable. It's not like Sasuke could keep the entire thing in ship shape by himself and I wouldn't doubt they'd have to fire all of their help to actually have money for Itachi's bills. And I can kinda get the feeling Itachi doesn't want Sasuke to live there because of the memories. It would be one depressing scene.

"Naruto, I've already spoken with Sasuke. He has nowhere else to go and he's very grateful to me for even offering him a place to go until Itachi gets better." I slammed my head against the table. It's not that I wasn't sympathetic to Sasuke's case; I wouldn't mind him living with us at all, if he wasn't such a bastard.

Okay, I know how mean that sounded but there's reasons for it! Back when Sasuke's father first started running against my old man, Sasuke made an offhanded comment to me behind the scenes. It was something like, "Looks like everyone will finally see that failure runs in the family." He said it without a hint of emotion, completely deadpanned it. Unfortunately, I have an extremely short temper, especially when someone says shit about my dearest old pop! I've almost fought reporters a few times. So when Sasuke said that to me, it was ON! I was determined to break some skulls!

I punched him in the face, right in front of his brother and mother; he stumbled backwards and like all good, arrogant bastards do, retaliated. He jumped on me and we exchanged fists like we were in a fight for our lives. I still say, before Itachi dragged Sasuke off of me, that I won that fight. I busted Sasuke's nose, he only managed to get a really hard blow on my lip; my mouth was full of blood and all that good stuff but I did not look as rough as he did. Though, I gotta say, for a bastard he has a really good left hook.

But…That wasn't the only thing. Sasuke and I had more history than I care to mention out loud. It was actually about two months before the accident occurred. It was Halloween and we had been invited to a party in town hall. Let's just say my old man is a little less strict than he should be because I was FUCKED up. So very drunk I was. Sure it's still illegal for me but I didn't care, all of the cops there were too drunk to notice I was running straight towards hammered. To my surprise, Sasuke had managed to also get some booze in his system; I blame Itachi for that. He seemed to be the least up tight of the four of them. So Sasuke and I eventually found each other at the party. Surprisingly enough instead of fighting we ended up in the janitor's closet making-out; we didn't go any farther than that even though Sasuke was pleading for more. But we had to part ways when we heard both of our father's looking for us, scared me shitless at the time because of how close they were to the door. Sasuke, somehow, regained control of himself and just slapped his hand over my mouth so they wouldn't detect any noise. Needless to say as soon as they were gone, we left, and didn't even look at each other as we did so. My old man does not know about that; in fact I don't even think Sasuke's parents knew. I'm pretty sure Fugaku would have flipped a biscuit…Though Sasuke was sent to his fancy prep school after that happened…I doubted I had anything to do with that but it would seem like Fugaku would cover something like that up if he knew about it. We couldn't not besmirch the name of Uchiha Sasuke, the genius, and also, the 'good' son. Well one of them anyway.

The weird thing was before that day I had never thought about the same sex in that way; I mean I'd had plenty of girlfriends, all ended up being bitches. But Sasuke, who I was sure I hated with every fiber of my being, was the first guy I had ever been extremely intimate with. However, because of that experience with him, I found out afterwards that my shame would not allow me to look him directly in the eye.

"This is the end of the discussion, Naruto. Until Itachi is well enough to take care of the two of them then Sasuke is going to live with us. Besides, think about the good we'll be doing in helping Sasuke. It's just the kind of karma we need." Why did I smell a sinister motive behind this? Oh wait, I know why. Because my father was deciding to expand his power by becoming…Dun, dun, dun, a member of the House of Councilors.(1) You need as much positive press you can afford when running for a position like that. And I knew my father was determined for this to happen and adopting Sasuke would make him seem like a wonderful, caring person. Either that or my father was totally not picking up what this kind of press could do for his political career. But I highly doubted that.

"And besides all that Sasuke is a good boy; he's diligent in his studies, and has some of the best manners I've ever seen." Which is dad for, 'I hope you learn something from him.' Psh, yeah right. "So, Naruto, just try your best to be pleasant when he finally arrives. I mean I know you guys aren't exactly friends but I really need you to try your best. For his sake…" Oh I was weak against my father asking me to do things, especially when he had such a sad tone in his voice.

"Fine." I said. "But if that bastard starts anything with me, I'm ending it."

He patted me on the shoulder. "We'll hope it doesn't come to that. I'm sure Sasuke is a little more humble than before." Oh my old man, he tries to see the good in everyone. I shook my head a little bit but I smiled a little. He smiled back at me. "Oh and don't get mad…" I looked up at him and he was smiling sheepishly back at me. This wasn't going to be good, not at all.

"Oh no, what is it now?"

My father looked around for a second, trying not to make it seem like what he was going to say was a big deal but I knew it was. He had told me not to get mad which was a big hint I was going to do just the opposite of what he wanted. "Sasuke is going to be going to school with you…" I paused for a moment and he started to head out of the room. Oh this man, he knew me all too well. I was going to explode. I could deal only seeing him when I was here because I could just leave and stay with friends but now I was going to see him all day, pretty much everyday! He looked back into the room when a few minutes had passed and I had somewhat composed myself. "I know, I know," Before I could even say anything he was on top of it. "I know you don't want to see him at school and here but, Naruto, I really cannot afford the school he was going to previously. He even said it was fine and he didn't mind going to the school you go to. So, please, just grin and bear it." There was a knock at the door and my mouth fell open as soon as my father got his nervous smile.

"No fucking way. He's already here? When were you going to tell me he was coming today?"

"Naruto, language. And I'm sorry for the short notice, I wanted to put him up as soon as I could. He was just burning through money staying at hotels." My father said as he moved to the living room; I followed behind him, not because I wanted to greet Sasuke or anything, I just wanted to show that I was okay with having a housemate, adopted brother, thing. I leaned against the wall in the archway and my dear old man opened the door.

Sasuke stepped in, taking in the view. His eyes fell on me within a few moments and he smirked, that bastard smirked right at me. Did my dad notice? Hell no. Damn cocky fuck. Humbled by the accident my left nut! Okay….Okay, calm. Don't get in Sasuke's face right away. Dad shut the door behind him as he set his bags on the floor. I decided maybe I shouldn't start with a hostility and walked towards them; my dad smiled and patted me on the shoulder. "Naruto, be a sport and help Sasuke carry his things to the guest room." I nodded and grabbed one of his suitcases, he grabbed the other and the entire time I wondered if he had packed this thing with damn rocks. Shit, this things was HEAVY. It was like carrying a small person. And of course, the guest room was upstairs, right next to my room. I led him up the stairs and he followed obediently. I opened the door, flicked on the lights, and set his things down by the bed. He looked around; the room was pretty good for a guest room. It had a flat screen television, identical to the one in my own room, a comfy leather chair in the corner with a side table, books were stacked on top of it. All considering, without the mess, the posters, and the overall personality, it was like an exact replica of my room. It even had a bathroom connected to it, what a luxury!

"Good enough." Sasuke muttered as he set his other case on the bed. He unbuttoned his windbreaker, something I noticed was very snug on him, as though the fabric was hugging his form. He tossed it on the bed and stretched a little bit. He was wearing so much black it was incredible. The shirt he had on was long sleeve, dark black, nothing on it. He also had dark wash denim skinny jeans on. Hell even his shoes were black. I noticed they were from a foreign exporter because the writing on them was English; they were probably from America. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"What the hell would I say?"

"Oh I don't know, perhaps anything along the lines of 'Hey Sasuke,' or 'I'm sorry for your loss' or maybe even 'how long are you going to be staying?'" He replied but he wasn't finished. "Or maybe, if you had the balls to say it, 'You look sexy today Sasuke.'"

I scoffed audibly. "Oh yeah, I'm all about what you're packing Sasuke." I could see the slight curl of his lips upwards and I rolled my eyes but found myself unable to leave the room. He was suffering, it was in his body language and how he was holding himself. "…So, how are you holding up?"

He shrugged a little. "Fine I guess, but Itachi has been pissing me off. I would be able to live on my own quite well but he wouldn't let me near the house until he heard I was moving in with you and your father. Then he permitted me to get anything I needed then." He opened up his suitcase and stared at the contents. I noticed during that entire conversation he hadn't looked at me. I wondered why but I decided it was best not to press. I didn't want to bring up anything he didn't want to talk about.

"How is your brother?"

"Slowly progressing away from death." Sasuke muttered. "He's gotten all the surgeries he needed and now all that's ahead of him in the recovery process and taking over the family business." He paused for a moment and crossed his arms over his chest. "He is very grateful that your father bothered to give me a place to stay."

I shrugged a little. "It's what good people do when others are in need; he knew that you would need a place to go and we had a bed open; we could also off a level of stability to you since you life has been thrown upside down."

Sasuke turned his head towards me with a look I couldn't describe. There was something smug about it yet sad. "And what do YOU think about me being here? You and I haven't had the greatest run when it comes to interacting."

"I doesn't bother me that you're here. I'm on board with whatever my dad had planned out because, whether you like it or not, I'm sympathetic towards you and your family. And besides all the bullshit about this being a good experience for you, it may give you a little perspective as to what life is like when you don't have everything handed to you." That's right, snappy comment. But whatever, I'm pretty sure Sasuke appreciated it more than someone trying to hold his hand and feed him lies. If he wanted shit like that he could just walk down the street; people would be all over him in a second.

Sasuke laughed a little at that and turned towards me completely. He leaned back a little with a very amused look on his face. "Oh? Really?" He took a step towards me and eventually our faces were only a few centimeters apart. "You're going to learn very soon Naruto that I always get my way; no matter the situation, or the consequences that may occur."

He was only a few centimeters taller than I was so I had to looked up just a little bit to glare heatedly. Suddenly I realized that I could look him in the eyes, only when I felt the pulse of anger I guess. I shoved him a little and he backed off with an even more amused look springing to his features. "We'll see about that."

"Oh yes, yes we will."  
>-<p>

**THE NEXT DAY**

There are no words to describe the pulse of anger filling me at this moment. Not only had I woke up late and only had about ten minutes to throw myself together, Sasuke was already awake, already very composed, and finished with his breakfast. "What the hell Teme?" I said as I stalked down the stairs grabbing my keys from the counter.

Sasuke looked over at me. "Is that going to be your pet name for me? Because I can easily think of one for you too. Though, it has come down to the impassible question of whether I should choose Dobe or Usuratonkachi. Both fit so well."

Oh this guy….He steamed all my vegetables! And by that I mean he's getting on my last nerve; and that's saying something since he hasn't even been here for a full fucking day! I glared at him. "Why didn't you wake me?"

He looked back at me with a slightly aggravated face. "Oh, I did try. You would just roll over and tell me to 'fuck off.' I gave up. And just reset your phone alarm, which went off a total of about twenty times before you actually decided to grace me with your presence." Unfortunately, I could believe that would happen. I was notorious for being the heaviest sleeper alive. Usually, I managed to force myself out of bed but I guess today just wasn't my day.

Sasuke handed me a donut and coffee; I just looked at it. What the fuck is this? A peace offering? Sasuke actually thinking of someone other than himself? This is just plain insanity! I looked back up at him and he just smirked at me. "I had plenty of time to get myself something and since I knew you were going to be late I decided to get you something too." He looked over at the clock and I saw it too. It was a five minute drive to the school from my house and school started at eight, it was currently seven thirty. I liked getting there early so I could mingle, but we also had to get Sasuke's schedule figured out since he was a new student. "You can eat it on the road, but we got to go otherwise I'm going to be late to my first day." Sasuke pulled the keys from his pocket. "Don't spill anything in my car, Dobe. Or I will skin you alive."

It is obvious to me now where all of Sasuke's affection was. His car. Of course if I had a sweet ride like he did I wouldn't allow anyone into my car unless they had protective shoes and a vacuum handy. It was a fucking, pure black Lamborghini. The paint had some kind of sparkling effect that made it seem even more magical. I almost didn't want to get in with my donut in hand but when those doors flew up offering me a seat, I almost squeal like a no good fan girl. I could not let Sasuke know I loved everything about his car. I got in and looked over at him. "Isn't this a bit excessive for a five minute ride to school?"

"I refuse to be seen in your car." I looked over at my car, which was sitting in the driveway, minding it's own business. It was an older model, only about five years, but whatever still old in the car world. It was a Mitsubishi and all considering it was in very good condition, no scratches, or dings. But of course if I had to pick between my car and Sasuke's…

I looked back at him. "I understand."

He nodded his head. "And think of it this way Dobe; since my car will be the mode of transportation you might actually get laid by the women who are actually trying to get to me. Strangely, they think something like that would actually work." I actually laughed a little at that. Oh this guy, he's kinda funny. No! I cannot think that Sasuke is kinda funny! I will not allow the acceptance of thinking that Sasuke is not as bad as once thought. He's a bastard underneath this kindness. I can still feel it in me bones! "Oh and I'm already getting my way Naruto. You've already ended that argument the moment you got into my car."

Fucking bastard. Oh he's good, Sasuke is good. Damn, I never thought he'd be able to win that fast! This is so infuriating. But oh well, I guess there are SOME benefits to Sasuke getting his way this time. I get to roll up to school in a sweet ride but I will not allow him to trick me again. I'm far too clever to fall for his nonsense a second time.

Okay so the drive was boring. We didn't really talk because I was stuffing my face with the donut Sasuke had buttered me up with. It was delicious and the coffee was nice. I was feeling very good actually as we pulled up to the school.

I knew I had to escort Sasuke to the office before I did anything else but…My friends were very distracting. I just got out of the car, I mean set one foot on the ground. I didn't even get to stand up before I was tackled to the ground by my main man, Kiba. I laid there for a second with him on top of me. It was like an extremely awkward hug that didn't involve the wrapping of arms. "Hello Kiba."

"Hey Naruto." He started to pick himself up and then offered me a hand. I got to my feet and we initiated the most epic of all the hugs. The bro hug. It was like slapping someone as hard as humanly possible in the back while doing a chest bump. Pure and epic awesomeness.

"Naruto! Good morning." Sakura came up to us, she had just gotten out of her very unappealing to the eye, bubble gum pink Mercedes. Ino was with her since they were like so totally the best friends ever…Yeah. (2) Ah, I'm hilarious. I knew when they were around the others were bound to come filing out of the woodwork. But it wasn't just because they saw me, it was because everybody on campus was staring at Sasuke's car…and Sasuke himself. I totally forgot that guy was looming around in the shadows like a super out of place elephant. Which reminded me I had responsibilities. I turned towards the sidewalk and made a motion for Sasuke to follow me when we were both cut-off by the super best friends, Sakura and Ino.

"Naruto, don't be rude. Aren't you going to introduce us to him?" Ino practically screeched. She shoved me a little and though it was my nature to get in her face and shove her back, I wouldn't, because one, she was a girl, and two, Sakura would punch the crap outta me. That girl was some kind of crazy masculine fighter; I've told her before that she should join the women's chapter of the UFC(3) in America and she just punched me. She has a far worse temper than I ever will.

Ino was giving Sasuke the coy look; one she was known for when flirting. Of course since I had known her for sooooo long, it had no effect on me by disgust. It just made raise an eyebrow and shake my head a little but Sasuke just scoffed a little before completely ignoring her and focusing all of his attention on me. "Lead the way for me Dobe, I don't have all day."

"You're a real prick, Sasuke, you know that?" He just shrugged and actually had the gall to get behind me and push me through Sakura and Ino, who cleared the way for us like they were never an obstacle in the first place. But that's when we ran into obstacle number two, one that was far more immovable. Sai, the most hated member of my friend circle, to me anyway. Everyone else seemed not to care about him because he never directly messed with them, it was always me. Just me. He would just harass the crap outta me and make as many rude jokes as he felt possible. He sometimes messed with Sakura but learned kinda quick that she will outright punch a dude in the face. I would not want to be the sorry mugger or rapist that tried to get Sakura. And she's on the cross country team, she would hunt them down until her rage was released! They would have to file the police report for assault.

"Well, well, good morning Dick-less. And oh, lo and behold you have a new friend with you." I wanted to tell Sai not to press his luck with Sasuke. But knowing this asshole any fair warning would be ignored. I just sighed a little and allowed him to continue to speak. "Hmm, well Dick-less I may have to find you a new name because this guy seems to be overcompensating for something with a car like that."

I moved out of the way. Just moved out of the way, with a slight push from Sasuke. He stepped forward, getting a few centimeters from Sai's face before leaning down just a little, staring him in the eye. Did I ever mention that Sasuke could be very intimidating? Well he can. The look he was giving Sai gave me chills, and everyone around us was staring like this was going to be the best fight on campus since Kiba almost curb-stomped some guy for calling Hinata ugly.

Sai wasn't smiling like he always was; he actually looked kind of scared but then he got a sudden look as if he realized something. "Oh wait! I know who you are, you're Uchiha Sasuke. The guy who lost both parents in that car accident. Perhaps I should call you the Orphan."

OH MY FUCKING GODS! Sasuke was gunna snap, I could see it! His facial expression changed from a cold glare to something so scarily hot that it was threatening to scorch everything around it. Sasuke was going to kill him, he was going to rip out Sai's spine and beat him with it! His body language was reeking of revenge and anger to the highest degree. I grabbed his arm but he slapped my hand away getting even farther in Sai's face before I finally managed to grab the fist which was threatening to come up and promising the sweet kiss of a knock out. I couldn't let Sasuke get suspended his first day, or you know, go to jail for murdering this insensitive bastard. But hey, Sasuke didn't know Sai was an emotionless asshole. I started to drag Sasuke away from Sai but that bastard was practically glued to his spot.

Finally, fucking finally, I was able to drag him away and get him in the direction of the office. Sasuke was taking a couple deep breaths and before long he was completely composed. I wanted to say something to him but no words came to mind. There was this part of me that wanted to comfort him but I just couldn't do it. I didn't want him to think I was pitying him like everyone else was; I could tell he needed a sense of normal, someone who wouldn't just keep throwing him pity parties. But he also needed someone who would be able to read situations…Unlike Sai who is a completely and utter asshole who I swear thrives the pain and misery of others.

We got into the office and Shizune, the secretary, attendance lady…Whatever, was sitting there and smiled when we came in. She stood up and hugged me. Sasuke looked over at me. "She knows me well." I commented. Sasuke smirked a little bit as she looked over at us.

"You didn't get in a fight with the new kid already did you Naruto?" I looked over at her. I had some sense of self-control. I wouldn't just fly off the handle and beat the crap outta everybody who gave me a weird look.

"I resent that question."

She shrugged. "Well, can you blame me?" I really couldn't. I always ended up in the office for fighting because Kiba somehow always got me to join on whatever escapade he was doing that week. And I always had to fight someone. Somehow the press never gets a hold of all the fighting I've done, but of course my dad always knows. Totally sucks balls. But whatever, I just need to stop upholding Kiba's sense of the 'Bro Code'. "So you're the new transfer student Uchiha Sasuke. Let me just get this out of the way and tell you I am sorry for your lose." Sasuke nodded a little bit before Shizune printed out a copy of Sasuke's schedule, locker number, and school ID number. She handed it to him and he thanked her.

I snatched it from his hand and looked over his schedule. There was no doubt in my mind that my dear old man and Sasuke had been planning this for awhile since he already had his schedule made and ready to go. I was surprised while looking at it. They were all crazy, ridiculous classes like AP Calculus and AP Physics. Was this dude trying to kill himself? I think he might have been. I sighed a little. "I'll show you to your classrooms since we still have time…And apparently first period together." Sasuke glanced at his schedule.

"You're taking AP Literature and Composition? I didn't think you had it in you." Indeed, as shocking as my D average sounds, there's a reason why it's not an F average. That class was the only one I had an A in. And Sasuke was going to be in for a shock but we also had PE and AP Physics together. Which means three of six classes. How delightful, I got spend half my school day with him. And oh, lunch too. Super duper.

I pointed out all of Sasuke's classrooms, the lunchroom, the other random things like the gym, the theater which I had no idea why since he probably wasn't going to need it, the video room which had a green screen and who knows what else since I haven't taken any kind of photography or video class. Also a pointless point out. And eventually we got to first period with the greatest, laziest teacher in all of existence Hatake Kakashi. Oh this guy, he was a piece of work. Always late. No matter what. I was actually surprised that he hadn't been fired or something but then again when he actually teaches, it's like the wisdom of god being shoved into my brain.

Sasuke and I walked in. "Oh I should tell you know now that we can probably be about thirty minutes or so late to this class and the teacher won't even care." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at me and pointed to Kakashi's desk. No sign of him. "He's always late and gives some crazy bullshit excuse like 'my path was crossed by a black cat so I had to take the long way around while praying to eight different religions and jogging in place at the same time.'" Sasuke smirked a little at that as we took a seat. Sakura showed up a little later and decided to sit next to Sasuke, who paid her no mind. He was too focused with staring out the window and ignoring everyone in the room like it was just him and no one else. But of course when Sai finally decided to show up, Sasuke's attention was grabbed, and it was grabbed harshly.

Sasuke stared him down, I mean he mean-mugged the crap outta him as he took a seat on the other side of me so he was sitting between me and Sakura, staring across our desk groupings at Sasuke. He smiled a little obviously brushing off his face to face encounter with death. "I've decided on a nickname that you won't kill me over."

"I believe I'll be the judge of that." Sakura and I stared at each other. I was actually waiting for him to reach across the desks and just take him to the floor. I mean no one in the room would pass up a good fight and ha, it's not like Kakashi was here to report to the office or anything.

Sai leaned forward and looked Sasuke dead in the eye. "Interloper." We all kind of looked at each other like 'whaaaa'. I had not be expecting something that had some kind of tact attached to it. I mean, this is Sai we're talking about. "It's perfect if you think about it. You're like the complete opposite of everyone in the friend circle, yet since you've come pre-packaged with dick-less over here then you get an automatic in. Plus all the girls are already suckers for you're beautiful face, cold demeanor, and tortured past. Right now, I can see Sakura is thinking of ways she can save you from your own darkness." He said the last part with a breathiness that seemed like a woman would use to describe their perfect romance. I wanted to laugh a little but Sakura had already turned her head and was about to punch Sai. Sasuke smirked a little then.

"Yes, well. We can't all be as lucky as me to get the girl every time." Sakura started blushing then for some reason. Sasuke hadn't even addressed the statement towards her yet she was blushing like he had singled her out and kissed her in the moonlight or something. I rolled my eyes but that's when Sai got a little too close for comfort. I hated it when he invaded my space because he was actually one of the only friends who would do something; I mean Kiba would tackle me to the ground and all but Sai was daring, and good at pushing his luck.

"You can have Fists over there, and skanky blond; hell you can even have Shy but as long as I have my dick-less, I'll always be complete." He was holding me as he said that, practically pulling me out of my chair. I saw the flash of fists before I could even really process what was happening. Sai fell out of his seat and landed on the floor. I looked up at Sasuke who seemed frozen and I knew why within the instant; Kakashi had just walked into the room, his Icha Icha Paradise in hand. He sighed a little and pointed towards the door.

"Uchiha Sasuke, principal's office. You too Sai." Both of them left without a single word. Kakashi turned to the class. "That was one hell of a first impression. I think I like him." The class couldn't help but agree. Sai wasn't exactly well liked and we all know he deserved more than he got.

But one question was still ringing in my mind as I sat up and looked at Sakura, who looked just about as confused as I did. "What the hell just happened?" Sasuke was supposed to be a better person than me, not as short fused, nor as aggressive. So why? Why would this media proclaimed 'good' son suddenly lose his cool and just knock Sai across the floor? It just didn't make any sense. I knew a good bit of what Sasuke did was for show but I didn't actually think breaking character could be so easily accomplished by someone who was more easily able to get under my skin...So what the hell could this possibly mean?  
>-<p>

**1. Japanese politics time. Japan is a constitutional monarchy which means they have an emperor and a set up like America; a congress if you will. They have a House of Representatives and The House of Councilors(like the American Senate) So if you want, it's like Minato is running for Senator…Only in Japan. Except it is far harder to get into the House of Councilors…Go look it up for more details :P  
>2. In your head, you have to read that statement like a valley girl would say it. Naruto is mocking them of course and it's hilarious.<br>3. The UFC, in case you don't know, is the Ultimate Fighters Championship. It's mixed martial arts fighting and the women are so scary and beefy yet amazingly hot with their awesome bodies! And if you really think about it…Sakura would kinda be a good contestant for the show.**

**LE FIN. The first chapter is finished. And I finished it on a wonderful suspenseful note. I'm contemplating whether or not the next chapter will begin at lunch or whatever. We'll see.**

**Sasuke: You've started another...  
>Me: Yes. I had a void in my life.<br>Sasuke:-shakes head- You have like a pile of updates you need to do and you screw around. But I guess it's what you do best.  
>Me: You're such a dick. But that's okay because I understand you.<br>Sasuke: Sure you do. This was Hitoko-sama.  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**HURRAY WE GET THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THIS EPIC MONSTER FIC…THE GOOD SON :D …This isn't about monsters, I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm insane. But that's okay. NARUTO'S PV...WARNING YOU MAY LEARN USELESS INFORMATION IN THIS CHAPTER!  
>-<strong>

You know that super awkward moment when you come home from school and your dad totally bitches you out for not helping your new adopted brother roommate thing who got into a fight with one of your 'friends'? You don't? That's probably a reason for that, either that or your dad isn't as dumb as mine when it comes to things like this. My dad has always disliked fighting, another thing he hates is losing a fight. Technically Sasuke didn't lose but he may as well have. I believe getting caught falls under the losing category. I mean all of the fights I've gotten into I've either not gotten caught or have the blame rested on Kiba so I get off free, besides the bad reputation.

From what I got, between all the yelling and pointing from my father, was that Sasuke didn't get suspended. Joyous. I mean I kinda figured he wouldn't since Sai getting knocked in the teeth has been in the cards since he decided to ever open his mouth. But besides all that, Sasuke had the sympathy factor working for him, and even if Tsunade didn't like to admit it, everyone had a soft spot for sob stories. They probably thought of Sasuke as some kind of like tragic hero who needed a good teacher to turn his life around, or some movie cliche shit like that. But whatever, all he got was a little word sass from Tsunade and sent home with a warning. Something probably about watching his temper or some bullshit. 'Oh Sasuke don't do that again, it's like bad and stuff', would be what people say to him and his troubled spirit.

What pissed me off about this whole situation was that he was yelling at ME. What the fuck was I supposed to do? Like in all seriousness, what? I mean Sasuke had that fight kinda covered with one fist, I didn't need to step in. I had already dragged Sasuke away from the dumb fucker once and I hadn't been expecting him to explode that second time. Like quite literally, what could I have done? Hell, everyone who had heard Sai got his teeth knocked in instantly assumed that he deserved it. Fuck, Tsunade, who is the principal of our school, probably thought he had it coming without even hearing the full story. Sai has that reputation, no one likes him, Sasuke is probably the hero of our school now.

"Dad, seriously, you've met Sai before. No one is ever going to think Sasuke is a bad guy because he knocked him in the teeth. Hell Tsunade probably was right on board with him." I said folding my arms across my chest and giving him a pointed look. Sasuke was sitting next to me and I could tell he was nodding. "In all seriousness, any normal person probably would have done worse than just punch him."

"It was a fluke." Sasuke said suddenly. "He had already said something to me previously that had sparked my temper so when he said something else I couldn't help but allow my rage to grip me. I apologize if I've embarrassed you."

"No, no it's quite all right Sasuke." Dad said as he patted Sasuke on the shoulder. What the fuck is this? As soon as Sasuke opened his mouth it's like Dad magically heard everything I'd been saying for the past half hour! What is Sasuke, some kind of wizard? Cause he sure as hell worked his voodoo magic on my old man. He got up from his spot at the table, grabbing his brief case and keys. A night of hard campaigning for this guy. "I'm not surprised Sai tried to push his luck with you. As Naruto has said, I've met him. Didn't like him, I thought he was a dick." Ah, have I mentioned that I love my father even though he can be an idiot sometimes? I don't know why but when parents say things like 'dick' in reference to a person it just makes the sentence that much better. "Well I'll be seeing you kids later, just don't burn down the house."

"Does that mean I can drink the drain cleaner under the sink?" I asked cheekily with such a hopeful gleam in my eyes that my dad came back to the table and ruffled my hair.

"Of course, I didn't mention it in my previous statement therefore everything else dangerous is up for grabs." He said with a small shake of his head. I waved goodbye and he was gone from sight in a moment.

And now I was alone in my house with Sasuke. We both turned towards each other, a contemplative look on Sasuke's face, probably some kind of boredom or excitement on mine. Perhaps even a combination that could be called...Normal face. Yes, I was able to produce such a face.

I didn't know what to talk about with him. I was thinking about asking him about what he had been thinking when he punched Sai but then I realized it was a stupid question because he was probably thinking what everyone thinks when they have the urge to hurt Sai; 'I will end this horrible being'. My mind kept drifting to that scene. Technically everything had been chill and Sasuke seemed far more calm from the earlier comment about his parents, so what the fuck set him off? I mean, it kinda didn't make sense. We were all just sitting around and Sai just said a stupid little comment about me and somehow after that Sai was on the ground.

If I didn't know better I would say that Sasuke punched him because he was mad at Sai for putting his hands on me...But there was no way right? I mean Uchiha Sasuke, the greatest genius prodigy ever, couldn't be annoyed so greatly by a simple touch, right? That's just preposterous. Sasuke and I could be BARELY considered friends, like it was kinda pushing it. We hated each other for the longest time. And he seems to be still harboring his hostility towards me, if the proving me wrong hadn't have been proof enough. And I mean I know I still have almost all my hostility towards him; the car and punching Sai has lessened it, as much as I hate to admit it. Its not like he's my hero now or something...Okay maybe just a little bit. I've been waiting to knock Sai's lights out since I first met him like a year ago. Somehow I managed to keep my anger suppressed, I really don't know how.

"You know one of the rumors going around school is that you and Sai slept together before you transferred and he gave you herpes so you planned on beating the shit out of him for revenge." I said. Where the fuck did that come from? I mean it was true that someone had actually said that but still, it was kind of a random conversation starter.

"Ouch, people suck." Sasuke said as he sat back in his chair a little with a frown. "I mean I don't doubt that Sai has herpes, but I would never sleep with him." I suddenly burst out laughing. I don't know why, it wasn't even that funny but still I laughed so hard that I looked like an idiot. Sometimes I didn't like to admit that Sasuke is hilarious. I still have all my teenage hate with me and all that nonsense, plus I'm a guy and all stubborn, so no admitting Sasuke is a laugh riot when he tries. I wondered sometimes if admitting stuff would be easier when I got older...

"Seriously, I mean you were there for one fucking day. If anything they should be giving you a goddamn parade for serving Sai a piece of your fist. I've been punched by you before, it sucks. I shall put a suggestion into the student council for you." A small smile sprung up on Sasuke's lip and it like brought light to his face. It was so weird. I don't think I've ever seen Sasuke like give a super legit smile, I've seen his smirk, his no lip movement, his angry face, and so on and so forth. I will never get over the weirdness of that moment.

"Whatever Dobe. Shall we go study?"

Hit the brakes and pull it into reverse. Study? Did he really just ask me if I wanted to study? Who the hell in their right mind _wants_ to study? I mean studying is like a forced task brought to us by the evil teacher beings. Everyone I know who studies does the fancy cram nonsense and forgets everything like a pro, but then again I am dealing with a being that has never been unearthed in a normal high school. No one besides the weird smart kids who sit in the front of the class study for fun or because it's the smart thing to do. I patted Sasuke on the hand. "You poor child, you haven't learned yet."

He raised an eyebrow at me. It was then I knew I had to explain to him how high school really worked. No one studies. He pulled his hand away from mine and folded them across his chest.

"Sasuke, I hate to break this to you but you're not going to your fancy private school anymore. You're going to a public high school and...We don't have to study. We all just cram then do nothing." I could tell that Sasuke couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. Because he did and then he shook his head at me.

"No wonder your grades are in the shitter." He commented. "If you actually studied, who knows, you could be getting a C average. Whoa, concepts."

"Oh ha ha, Sasuke. Perhaps you should be saving those brilliant zingers for when you're writing for talk show hosts." I replied and damn it was good. Maybe I should write for television. I mean I'm pretty brilliant and can make up some funny shit on the spot. That's going in the 'potential careers' section of my brain.

"Listen Dobe." He said in a completely serious tone, totally bursting my happy bubble...That bastard. "One of the other reasons, probably one your father didn't tell you, for me coming to live with you is that I could help raise your grades."

My mouth practically hit the floor. I mean wow, my father kinda just fucked me a little bit, like super backstabbers style. I know my grades haven't been great and I haven't been trying but allowing Sasuke to live here to tutor me? That's like...So rude. In a weird way. I was going to have such a stern talking to him when he got home from whatever bullshit he was doing. I mean whatever happened to people doing shit out of the kindness of their hearts? Everything now is about incentives. If you do this for me, I'll do that. What kind of world is that? Its like we have no morals left as people, its only that epic climb to the top and for what? Fame? Does no one think of all the friends we lose, all the crushed dreams of the people who work the hardest and then are walked all over? No, no one ever does. Well, as much as my father does it, I will not. I refuse to buy into such a life...

"How about this Dobe, if you manage to score anything higher than a B on our next AP physics quiz then I'll let you drive my car for a week." Sometimes I hated myself for how easily I can go back on what I just said. I mean really? What kind of bullshit is this? Why is it that people can be so easily bought? Sasuke's car was just so awesome and I would love to drive it since he said I can barely touch it. Oh he's tempting me with sweet nectar. "But that means you and I have to hit the books. I have no idea where you guys are and I don't want to be completely screwed."

No way. This wasn't just about me! It was also about Sasuke! He didn't want to admit that he needed my help just in case it was something he hadn't learned yet. Oh this was rich like a soup with expensive ingredients. "You know Sasuke, if you just needed help with physics you could have just asked."

He turned towards me with a heated glare. "As if I need help. I was just curious as to which chapter you guys were on so I would know if I had to cram myself full of knowledge or just relax and wait until you caught up to my old school. But that doesn't mean I'm not above helping you, Dobe. Physics is a difficult course, especially AP." He tapped his finger against the table as he looked at me. "So do we have a deal or not?" I was about to tell him to shove it up his ass when he leaned closer to me with the most arousing yet scary face I've ever seen in my entire life. Though the only reason why it was scary was because it was so close to my face..."Perhaps you want something else...My body maybe. I promise I'm herpes free."

What the fuck was this all of a sudden? I mean I don't EVER remember Sasuke making any passes at me since that one night in the closet...And when he first got here, but I assumed he was being a smart ass! I backed away from him, all the way out of my chair and onto the ground, landing with a thump. Yep, definitely put some real distance between us. I sat up and pointed at him like he had finally gone off the deep end. What kind of shit was he trying to pull on me anyway? That wasn't a funny joke! That memory kind of haunted my dreams and not in the good way! "What the hell Sasuke!"

"Oh come on Dobe, seriously? What are you, twelve?" Sasuke said with a shake of the head. I noticed he liked to do that. It was like looking down at me and disapproving at the same time. It was actually rather infuriating. "You can't deny the past as much as you like to think you can; it still happened whether you acknowledge it or not." I could feel the heat flushing up to my cheeks as Sasuke leaned over a little, looking directly at me. The smirk on his face...There was something about it that made me want to run. It just had bad news written all over it. "Besides, if I remember correctly, it was you who pulled me into that closet and attacked my mouth."

"And it was you who tried to take it to the next level!"

"You would have too if our parents hadn't have been looking for us." Sasuke said in a flash. There was something, hell, almost angry and resentful about the way he said it. Frankly this conversation was starting to make me more worried than angry. I didn't want Sasuke to get some kind of wrong idea from what happened that night. I mean, we were drunk...Like I was fucking gone. "Do you remember our previous conversation Dobe, about getting what I want?" I couldn't help but nod. "Well one of the ways I always end up getting that something is with incentives. I'll do this, or score this if you give me something I want. It's all the same to me Naruto, I'm just trying to help you. Besides I wouldn't mind sleeping with you, Dobe...Just as much as I don't mind if you get my car for a week."

"Are you fucking nuts Sasuke? I'm not going to sleep with you." Sasuke was on his feet hovering over me. There was a strange smirk on his face as he got on his knees, pinning me down. Oh my gods it was like cornering an animal or something, I wanted to reach out and smack him in the face...As girly and terrible as that sounds.

"Don't deny the attraction between us Dobe." He said as he leaned in to kiss me on the forehead. He trailed kisses down my face for a moment before planting one softly on my lips. He pulled back with a smirk. "Your animosity towards me doesn't exist Naruto, it's all the mask for your desire. I'm willing to completely allow you to partake in that desire...If you get a B or higher on the next quiz."

Whoa, whoa, whoa...Whoa. What the fuck was this nonsense? Some kind of crazy act or had he been completely serious? How was I supposed to know? Everything he had said up until his last comment seemed completely like psycho babble...With specks of truths. Why the hell does everything got to get so complicated while Sasuke's around? Whatever happened to simplicity? Oh wait, if everything was simple, life would be easy. Dear life, become a slut.

"Come on Dobe, let's go study." To follow him or not to follow? That is the question. Whether it is better to say here on the floor, where it was cold and unforgiving, or to follow the weirdo into his room, where he may try to seduce me.(1) No more I say! I got up from the floor and he turned to look at me. "Glad you're seeing it my way." He grabbed onto my arm and as much as I tried to pull free, the bastard was strong and managed to keep me from pulling away. And wouldn't I know it, he was taking me to his room. I suppose if we are actually going to study physics that he would have some kind of book from his old school we could learn from.

I wondered the entire time he was dragging me up the stairs if I was making the greatest mistake of my life...  
>-<p>

"I don't understand Kepler's laws about nonsense." I said after a few minutes of 'hitting' the books. I would rather throw them across the room but Sasuke wouldn't allow me to do that. He's such an uptight bastard. People say books don't hit back but they do, they hit me where it counts the most...In my brain...Where my thoughts are made.

"What's not to understand? It's just a ratio." He replied coolly as he hovered over my shoulder. I didn't really want him so close to me after that insane encounter in the kitchen. I mean who would want someone who practically sexually assaulted them hovering over their shoulder while attempting to make their brain work? WHO I ASK YOU! WHO? "The problem is simple Dobe. Halley's comet orbits the sun and it gives you the amount of years in which it does so. You also know something else that orbits the sun, the Earth. With that comparison you're only looking for one variable; the farthest point of the orbit."

Oh look at mister genius over here, trying to tell me all of his brilliant stuff. It wasn't actually that simple. No matter what kind of voodoo math and gods I prayed to, I wasn't getting the right answer. "Look, I've done this problem five different times. Would you mind sharing your genius with me?"

Sasuke took the book from my hand and reread the problem, taking my work with it. "Here's your problem Dobe, you're not fully reading the question." He pointed to a half on the page and then pointed to my work. "The first way you've done this is completely right, it's just half of what it should be. Think about it. We cannot calculate the technical orbit at the furthest point but only give it an estimate. It say right there that it only will give about half the sum. And what must you do to get the full point if you only have half? Multiply by two." (2)

"So this isn't some crazy question where you have to find the radius with acceleration rotation and gravity?" Sasuke shook his head.

"Kepler's law is different than that oh brilliant one. If you were given more information then yes, you could solve it that way but primarily calculating mass is the when you use the other acceleration rotation and gravity formulas."

Okay so maybe Sasuke was far smarter and a better teacher than I had originally planned him to be. I mean the way he explained it made the concepts so simple that it made me feel like an even bigger idiot. I redid the problem and sure enough he had been right about it. Whatever they had been teaching Sasuke at his private school was going to make him very successful at mine. He was probably way ahead of whatever curriculum my teachers had set up. I looked over at the book on his lap. It was his calculus book from the other school and I couldn't help but become a little curious. I had managed to hit the respectable level of pre-cal as a senior and well, I kinda want to know what I was getting into.

"Is that hard for you Sasuke?" He glanced up at me with a shrug.

"Not really. Itachi was a great source for whenever I got stuck with anything. He was the true genius of the family, I was just clinging to his coat tails." He said as he flipped a page, sighing a little bit as he did so. "Itachi is the person I was closest too in the entire family. When I heard the news that he hadn't died I wasn't even really as sad as I was relieved. I thought 'if he survives, it will be okay, everything will be just as normal as it was.'"

Something about that confession made my blood run slightly cold. Sasuke barely even cared that his parents died, I mean obviously he did care since it did seem to drive him over the edge when Sai made that joke. Of course that also could have been because of his lack of what normal people have, tact. But there was something else about his confession that freaked me out. I wanted to press a little farther but I was fearful at what the answer may be. I mean, how does someone ask about family dynamics when their family is dead? I could tell there was a slight detachment from Sasuke and his parents, it was obvious in his body language and face whenever Fugaku would brag about him. But how far did that detachment go? What had he done to make Sasuke cut off emotional ties to him?

"Oh...Well, it's good that he survived then. I always did like Itachi best out of everyone else. He seemed the nicest."

Sasuke made a face that somehow seemed amused and like he was about to ask me if I was serious. I smiled sheepishly at him as he rolled his eyes. "Itachi is a complex man. He's one of those people who does everything for a reason; it's kind of annoying sometimes though. The entire aura around him is opaque with secrecy so when the truth of his actions finally reveals the goal he desired it makes you feel like an idiot. It was like his own personal way to make everyone around him feel like a dumb ass." Sasuke started to smile a little, his mouth curving up in such a delicate way that it almost freaked me out. I mean smiling twice in one day? Who was this man? Surely not my greatest foe Uchiha Sasuke. What ailen race had snatched him up? "A lot of the things he did were for me. Mostly to make me seem like a far greater success in my father's eyes since I lived in Itachi's shadow. He always hated that...We never asked for all of this attention, we never asked to be prodigies or geniuses. It was just kind of thrusted into our laps."

Oh my gods...It's like Sasuke is a real person or something. This is insane! And what's even weirder is he's opening up to me! I mean I know I have a super comforting face and all but I would have never expected him to actually spill his personal business into my ears. He always seemed too solitary, like a rogue pigeon or something that flies solo. But now I see he needs someone to talk to...And to make it even more strange, he has daddy issues like I do! His dad never paid attention to him like mine never does. So weird.

"I understand Sasuke..." I said placing my hand over his. It was a small gesture but sure enough I could feel a small increase in his mood. He looked up at me and there may not have been a smile on his face but it showed in his eyes. We were actually connecting, as weird as it was to me, but it actually felt kinda good. Like it was in the plans all along. Fate...You tricky bastard.

We let the silence pass over us for awhile as I continued to do practice problems. I was getting the hang of this, no question. It's a good thing my teacher lets us use note cards because the way Sasuke does his work may help me on all the tests. Maybe I should ask him to make the card for me...It would be probably filled with more knowledge than I could understand.

Okay this silence was getting awkward and I didn't want Sasuke to feel like I was going to be like this every time he decided to sneak information up on me. I needed to reassure him or like keep the conversation going. I can't deal with all of this silence, Sasuke doesn't even study with music. It really isn't that distracting...Kinda. I glanced over at him and he was just staring into his book as if he was just waiting for it to gift him some kind of great knowledge from the world. I wondered what it was like to be inside his head. Would it be a dark place? Would there be far more layers of personality he never showed? What were his dreams and goals? Hell, I was becoming an information addict. Why did I want to know so much about him? It was almost pathetic.

"So..." I began and he looked over at me. There was no annoyance to his face like I had thought there might have been. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who enjoys being interrupted. He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Still having problems Dobe?"

I shook my head. "No, I get it much better now. Thanks..."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Don't mention it. I mean you have all the tools to get whatever's on that paper; its just that you don't know how to apply the skills quite yet. All I've done is provide a little direction for you...But that isn't what you want to talk about is it Dobe?"

Oh he could read me like a book. Of course it was probably obvious from the awkward, strained way I thanked him that it had never particularly been my intention in the first place. He glanced down at me, setting his book aside so he could stretch his arms. "I was just wondering if you're going to visit Itachi soon..."

"No. Not for a while." Sasuke said with a slight smirk coming to his lips. I wondered if it was in the Uchiha nature to be a hypocrite, I mean it's kinda obvious Itachi is his favorite family member. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as he handed me his phone. "I've been ignoring Itachi since he forbade me from returning to the old house. For the first three days he called and texted me none stop, then he cut all communications completely for two days, now he's blowing up my phone again." And just like that Sasuke got a text. "Until I feel he has been tortured enough, I will go and see him."

It was almost like Sasuke was displaying a super advanced case of 'I hate you! I'm not talking to you' like I used to do when I was a child. It was a large scale tantrum. He didn't get what he wanted from Itachi and now he was being a dick to him. For some reason I found it hilarious that Sasuke could actually reduce himself to pouting if he found it necessary. It probably was his best tactic in getting attention when he was a child. I'm almost half surprised that he didn't try the whole, 'I'm going to hold my breath for as long as possible then pass-out' thing. It seemed far more up Sasuke's sulky, pouty alley.

"You're kind of a dick, you know that right?" Sasuke smirked a little and patted me on the head.

"Whatever Dobe, as childish as it may seem, it provides some favorable results. Itachi loves me very much and hates when I'm upset. Who knows he may even give into my demands and you won't have to worry about me living with you. Or he'll just call me foolish and I'll end up apologizing like I always do."

"This plan of yours..." I began, holding my chin in one hand, looking as contemplative as possible. "Does it ever work like you want it to?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No. Itachi may give me whatever I want but when it interferes with his ultimate goal he'd rather see me pouting until he can win my favor again." He sighed a little. "My car is what he got me the last time he had to endure one of my silent treatments. I can't remember exactly what he did, I do remember I didn't talk to him for almost a month though. I had been determined then and I still didn't get my way...Oh wait now I remember what it was; I had picked out a private school I actually wanted to go to and my father disagreed with me. Itachi had gone there so he knew the school well and he didn't even stand up for any of me and the points I was making, he just sided with father. I was pissed. Itachi was always far too passive on issues, he tended to steer away from conflict."

"Have you ever thought that Itachi might not know why you're mad at him one day and just buy you something to appease you?" I asked, a little irked. Itachi seemed completely devoted to Sasuke, in about every way. I wish every time my dad and I got into a fight that he would buy me something awesome, even though I would still secretly hate him on the inside for not fixing my emotions with his words.

"Itachi is smart Dobe, unlike you. He always knows why he's in trouble with me. Besides, usually some hostile words are exchanged before I storm off and ignore him. I'm not completely heartless, I like to let him fester with the thoughts of what he's done." Oh yeah cause that totally gives the sense of 'not completely heartless'. I rolled my eyes at him.

His phone started buzzing and ringing. And I couldn't help but think it was the very tortured soul we were discussing at the moment. There was a strange look coming over Sasuke's face as he looked at the caller ID. "Sasuke, is something wrong? Is it not Itachi or something?"

"No...It's not. Excuse me for a second." Sasuke got off his bed and headed out the door, shutting it behind him.

For some reason this worried me. Who else would call Sasuke besides his brother? I'm at least mostly sure Sasuke didn't have many close friends at his other private school. I rolled over on his bed and looked at the pristine books laying on the covers of his bed.

I just realized I'm laying in Sasuke's bed...This is so weird. In fact this whole room is weird and boring if I do say so myself. I mean I know it's only been a day but when we first moved in here I had everything up on my walls before I unpacked my clothes. I needed that personal style, I needed those reminders. Pictures, posters, I don't know, everything. It reminded me of places, people, hobbies, likes, dislikes. It was like it displayed everything of who I was without even voicing it. But Sasuke's room was just so white, so lifeless. There was just such a lack of personality...Like it was a sterile zone. Perhaps I should suggest to him that he get a poster or two. Or at least paint the walls a more exciting color, like black, cause then it would match his soul. Why was I super hilarious whenever no one else was around? I hate that.

After a few minutes of me lying there with just my thoughts he came back in. There was something in his eye, something he tried to hide on his face, that gave me the chills. He sat back down on his bed as calmly as possible and just looked me in the face for a moment. Oh no...What if Itachi just died? I thought he had been stabilized and all the medical shit I didn't understand. He placed his phone on the side table and grabbed his Calculus book again.

"Who was that? Is everything okay?" I asked, a little bit more worry coming into my tone than I wanted but oh well. Maybe it would actually prompt an answer from him. He casually glanced back over at me and shook his head.

"Everything's fine, Dobe. Now finish those problems so we can move onto Lit."

Everything wasn't fine. Something had happened, it may not have been something extreme like my first conclusion but it was life shattering. Sasuke's body language had changed, his face had become just a little paler as if he was shocked. I didn't like where all of this silence was leaving me because...IT WAS GONNA BOTHER THE FUCK OUTTA ME TILL I FIGURE IT OUT.

**1.**** An extremely edited version of the famous soliloquy in Hamlet.  
>2. This is an actual physics problem I've actually done. I however did not have hot tutor Sasuke to teach me his brilliance. I had to rely on my teacher and assorted buddies... If anyone cares what the basic break down of the only Kepler's law I learned is, it's radius cubed over time squared equals radius of something else cubed over another time squared.<strong>

**Sasuke: Oh look, something is finally happening.  
>Me: Psh, stuff has been happening since the first chapter.<br>Naruto: You're foreshadowing something right?  
>Me: Would it not be Hitoko-sama if there was not foreshadowing?<br>Naruto: I supposed it wouldn't...UNTIL NEXT TIME THIS WAS HITOKO-SAMA.  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**My brain is so fried and ridiculous right now that I'm not even going to have a fun snappy comment. Please enjoy what I write :D Naruto's PV  
>-<strong>

You know that awkward moment when you become obsessed, and I mean completely and utterly consumed, with your new, adoptive brother, house mate? You don't? There's probably a reason for that, or your life isn't as cool as mine. And by cool I mean complex and stupid. Ever since Sasuke got that stupid call, I've been like, craving to follow him around and learn as much about it as I possibly can. The problem? Sasuke keeps to himself. I asked about it the other night, when he actually received the call, and I could tell by the look on his face alone that something was up. I asked follow up questions later, Sasuke either ignored me or just wrote me off as being a pest. Truly, I was a being a pest, but with good reason. I wanted to know what was happening. I mean I'm pretty sure if some real shit was going down Sasuke would tell me, right? But, of course, I don't really know Sasuke all that well so that could EASILY be a no.

But, there was some breaking news, which broke my theory yet eased my mind. I figured out the call actually had nothing to do with Itachi, like Sasuke said. Strange to think the Teme wasn't lying yet lying at the same time. Nothing to worry about, my left ass! So anyway I was watching a news report, and since Itachi is a HUGE icon of this country, he was mentioned. Turns out he's going to get out of the hospital within the month. That wouldn't sour Sasuke's disposition. I mean, it seemed to me that most of Sasuke's anger towards Itachi was faked or is just blatant manipulation. Which wasn't bad or horrible in any single way. Sarcasm, my best friend! You're back again! But whatever, as soon as that was completely eliminated from my search, I was left with less than nothing.

It annoyed me to no end! No end indeed! It was like running in one of those stupid hamster wheels because as close as I think I would get, it wouldn't matter. Whatever I wanted to know was infinitely being trailed in front of me. BUT, I would find out eventually, it may not be a way that could be considered 'honorable' or 'good' or '_legal_' but damn it all! I would find out!

And you would think since Sasuke and I live together that the search would be kinda easy. Uhh, no. Sasuke didn't just keep his emotions and thoughts on lock-down, EVERYTHING THAT HAD AN ASSOCIATION WITH SASUKE WAS! His phone was always on his person, no matter what. His computer, and yes I tried to hack in unsuccessfully I might add, was locked with a password that I could NOT figure out. I even tried prank calling him; desperate times call for desperate measures. So, I decided, maybe if I wanted to be in Sasuke's inner circle that I would suck up to him. You know, get on his good side. The fucker wasn't having it. He slammed his door in my face before I could I work the Uzumaki charms on him. Though, now that I think about it the Uzumaki charm doesn't really work on anyone.

Okay, so it was obvious that if I wanted to be a part of what Sasuke's drama I had to get closer to him. But how was I supposed to do that? I mean when he was tutoring me and all that fun stuff, he had a momentary lapse into the human realm, actually let me inside his head. We had a human connection strangely enough. But whatever, that was then, this is now. I needed to get that close to him again. But in reality, I didn't know how. With my other friends they would just open up to me, but Sasuke was a completely different animal, he was like a rabbit. To get him out of his hole, you'd have to be patient, allow them to take their time before surfacing. And once they popped up, snatch them before they can pull away. Obviously when it was rabbit season with Sasuke I missed my chance. So what should I do now? Just let things take their course? Or should I put the pressure on them?

I was kinda feeling option two when I was unceremoniously pulled out of my bed by my ankle. Of course, being me, I was completely freaked out by the prospect of an unknown forcing grabbing me from the darkness and pulling me from between my warm sheets. But, however, I recognized the frozen grasp around my delightfully warm skin to be none other than Sasuke's. He didn't stop pulling me until I was completely out of bed, face smacking the floor and everything. I rolled over onto my side, glaring up at him for being such a smug asshole this early in the morning. Now I was starting to forget why I wanted to be part of his inner circle; he was SUCH a dick.

"Good news Dobe, I found a very effective way to wake you up." Sasuke said with a smirk on his face. Oh yeah, it would have been a great way to wake me up...IF I HADN'T ALREADY BEEN AWAKE! Damn bastard with his 'smart' ideas.

"Fucking wonderful, what do you want? A medal?" The smirk on Sasuke's face widened as he seemed ever more amused by my shitty attitude. Why anyone would think this would be funny or amusing is completely beyond me. But then again I am dealing with Sasuke, who is a bastard and enjoys the misery of others, as shown by his relationship with Itachi. I stood up, only then realizing that I'm in my boxers and Sasuke is fully clothed. I glanced over at the clock. There was another two hours before school started... So why was Sasuke completely ready? And why the hell was I awake? Stupid brain and Sasuke, I need to catch up on my beauty rest. "Is there like something you want? Or are you going to continue to stare at me like a creep?"

But something in that stare wasn't creepy at all. It was lustful, having this strong hint of desire that I couldn't really put my finger on. It was like Sasuke was excited to see me in almost no clothes, which from the encounter last night didn't really surprise me. However, I couldn't shake the feeling of his eyes. They were everywhere all at once, stroking my body with such a strong and steady gaze. I almost shivered, not knowing why, I felt aroused. VERY aroused. It was hard to hide how his gaze was starting to infect me.

"Oh, its nothing in particular. I just wanted to see if you wanted to stop off somewhere for breakfast." So you woke me up two hours early for that? Eh, well, I guess I've woken up for less. Even though I really want to call you out for wanting more, because you do, don't you Sasuke? But that will be save for later. Sasuke mentioned the favorite f word...I really do like food, especially if Sasuke's cash is the one being thrown down to buy it.

"Sure, just let me take a shower and I'll meet you downstairs." Amusement flushed back into Sasuke's features again and I could feel a small shiver travel up my spine. Good golly, was it stare at Naruto like you were about to molest him day or something? Because I did not receive that memo!

"You know, Dobe, we can always skip breakfast and enjoy a nice shower together." Okay, yesterday seemed like he was just trying to bribe me to do better in school, but today it legitimately seems that he's trying to seduce me. For what reasons, I don't know, but he's definitely trying. And why me? I'm pretty sure Sasuke could get a massive volume of women if he tried hard enough, and by try I mean do absolutely nothing.

"Thanks Teme, I'll remember that when I'm completely desperate."

Sasuke shrugged. "Fine, your loss. But I expect you downstairs within the next half hour, idiot."

"Yeah, yeah. You're lucky I don't need long amounts of time to get my beautiful ass ready." Sasuke scoffed at that. What? A normal Sasuke reaction? Where did teenage hormone Sasuke go? As long as he doesn't come back, I'll be fine. As we parted ways, I couldn't help but think that that whole situation was...For lack of a better word, strange with a hint of awkward. I mean since when has Sasuke been into me? Besides the closet incident of course, but there was controlled substances involved so I didn't even count it. Oh things like this worry me.

I mean...What would I do if Sasuke tries to rape me?

Oh I should not have thoughts like that. As bad as it sounds, Sasuke probably wouldn't have to rape me. Oh, even worse thought there. Wow mind, thanks for laying it on thick today. This is almost as bad as when I realized that guys are sexy. Or when I noticed I wasn't as in love with Sakura as I thought. Tough days, tough days. But I suppose this makes sense. I mean I do feel attracted to men and Sasuke isn't some dude you could pass without taking a couple good looks. The problem with him is his shit personality. Sasuke would be perfect if he wasn't such an ass. But other than that, he's nice to look at.

I really should limit my thoughts about how Sasuke looks. Dear lord, I think I may be going crazy. Its like I have to remind myself how much I absolutely can't stand him. Oh who am I kidding? I'm fascinated by the guy, he's my creepy teenage obsession. But that means it won't last right? I guess I can only hope.

Hmmm, this is the most boring shower I've ever taken. I mean usually at this point I've gotten soap in my eye and have fallen out onto the floor, writhing in agony. Or like I'll slip and wang my head on the faucet. I've done worse than that. I mean one time I actually cut my toe open by accidentally kicking the faucet(1), I ended up passing out because of blood loss and slight shock. It was really embarrassing to explain that to my father...And the ambulance people. But somehow, I made it through.

...Now that Sasuke lives here I should refrain as much as possible from singing in the shower. That just has bad written all over it.

After my super uneventful shower, the eventful stuff started happening to me! How awesome. As soon as I got out, I slipped on the floor, which had a small puddle of water which was freezing cold. And what did I do in response? Grabbed the shower curtain thinking it would totally be able to support my weight and save me...Nope! I was horribly mistaken. The curtain pulled down the entire rod, making it slam down on me, after smacking my face, yet again, on the floor. Maybe I should just bubble wrap my entire bathroom.

And what makes this even worse? Sasuke came in. SUPER AWESOME. Have I mentioned my life is great. As nice as it was to know that Sasuke kind of cares about my well being, I would have preferred it at any other time than now, I mean I'm naked, laying on the floor, with a shower curtain and rod covering me. He probably thought I had a seizure or something. But when I looked up, finally able to meet his eyes, even though I was super embarrassed...There was genuine concern. I actually felt bad because I made him worry. Ain't that peachy?

"Are you alright Dobe?" I nodded my head, actually allowing him to help me up from the floor. At least I didn't pass out again, that would have probably freaked Sasuke out to no end. I mean dealing with your parents' deaths, your brother's long recovery, and then your roommate passing out in the shower? Oh gods, I would have a giant mental break down and probably jump out a window. No one should be in the hospital that much for things that aren't trying to kill them.

"Yeah, I'm good. I think." Sasuke pushed the hair out of my face, seeming to know that I smacked my face on the floor after my little tumble. I couldn't see it, but from the look on his face I could tell that there was no major done to my money maker. "Thanks for coming to check on me..."

"I would expect you to do the same for me Dobe so don't mention it." I suppose that was true. If I thought Sasuke injured himself in the shower I wouldn't even calmly open the door like he did. I would KICK it open, despite the damage it would probably do to my foot. "So...You're naked..."

Why yes Sasuke, I am...Oh gods I should grab a towel. I fumbled to get one of the stupid rack, trying quickly to obscure Sasuke's view of my full body. I don't think it really matter, I don't doubt Sasuke already saw it. "Ha, ha..." Oh no the nervous laugh, I must be really embarrassed.

"I expect you downstairs within the next few minutes Idiot."

"HEY! I could be bleeding out for all you know and you're just whipping me around like we have some super important schedule to keep!" Oh no...Why did I just mention bleeding out? I believe that's what Mikoto died from. Massive internal hemorrhages...Oh brain maybe you are damaged.

"Hn. From the fact that you're able to form ideas and have some amounts of shame, I doubt that you're in dire need of medical attention. Which means, I can boss you around." Sasuke replied, as though the comment didn't phase him at all. Maybe it didn't. Maybe he tries not to think about what happened. I wouldn't know, Sasuke won't let me in. At least not yet. It seems that I start to chip off layers of his thick shell and then it just heals back up, blocking me out again. Frankly, it's getting a little, tiny bit annoying. But whatever, patience has never been one of my strong suits. I will play this waiting game with Sasuke if I have to. I don't want to but whatever, I will win in the end. "Do you need me to help you start dressing Dobe? Because you're sucking my youth away."

That cheeky motherfucker. I HATE HIM! WHY DO I WANT INSIDE HIS HEAD? I make no sense! I'm just stupid, that's it. And this is all just a phase! I will stop being attracted to Sasuke in no time flat!  
>-<p>

Okay...After the car ride and idle small talk I've found that my hatred for Sasuke in waning, a lot. Where the hell did all my animosity and teenage angst go? I mean I thought it may have been deposited into my pity glands since Sasuke's parents are six feet under. But you know, I'm not so sure about that anymore. I've known from the start Sasuke never wanted my sympathy so why would I move energy to new feelings like that? Perhaps my brain is constantly circulating on the obsession because I really have nothing better to think about.

So Sasuke and I arrived at a small diner a few blocks away from the school so we didn't have to worry about being late and whatever else there was to worry about. There was still a good hour and a half before school started and since I didn't want much and I could eat like lightning we wouldn't be late. My uneventful shower actually cut the time I need to get ready in half, usually when I get soap in my eye I don't flush it right away since I'm writhing in pain, for at least ten minutes. But yeah just smacking my face apparently gets me raring and ready to go.

We were seated promptly by the hostess since there weren't very many people here. It was still pretty early in the morning which also meant we would get our food quickly. Sasuke and I both ordered coffee when the waitress came to the table but when she left, she took the noise with her; we were sitting in complete silence. Wow, I don't know why but this is actually kind of awkward. I mean I'm actually using my menu to block Sasuke out, which is completely childish and whatnot but you know how that goes. It was literally like being on a really bad date.

"Dobe, I need to ask you a serious question." Have you ever noticed that Sasuke like rarely to never says my name? I guess 'Dobe' is like my nickname or pet name when it comes to him...I don't like to think Sasuke has a pet name for me. I mean he's a complete Teme and shouldn't have affection for me...Even if Dobe is technically offensive, but still.

"Lay it on me Teme." Why was I nervous? I mean it was probably a stupid question, like 'Dobe why are you so stupid?' or something like that. I put my menu down and Teme did the same, following my motions almost exactly.

"Why have you been so up in my face lately? And don't play dumb Naruto, I know you've been doing it." Oh no. It was almost weird hearing my name fall from his lips, like it almost didn't belong there. But even still it almost made that statement even more accusatory. It's not like I didn't think Sasuke wasn't going to figure out what I was up to, but then again, Sasuke is way smarter than...Well, a good portion of people. He is the prodigal son after all.

Aw shit, I don't know how I should answer his question because I can't just deny it as his imagination. Sasuke isn't stupid enough to fall for it. Damn it, why can't Sasuke be stupid? WHY? Uhh! I guess I should come clean...? I mean I don't really have anything to lose. "Okay Teme, ya caught me. Yes, I was being a little bit of brown noser but I had a good reason!"

"Oh? And what could that be?"

"Are you two ready to order?" The waitress came back with our coffee and set the cups down, the black liquid sloshed around in their containers. I was never so happy to see an annoyed older woman. She got out her pad of paper and looked at me.

"I'll take pancakes with hashbrowns and bacon." I handed her the menu and made brief eye contact with Sasuke. The look said, very pointedly, 'When this lady leaves, we're going to finish this.' Damn it. Why couldn't Sasuke have short term memory loss?

"I'll take the same only instead of pancakes I'll have wheat toast." Sasuke replied in a more than icy tone. He seemed a little more aggravated than he should have been about her interrupting our conversation. When she left Sasuke turned to me, his gaze piercing and annoyed. Oh boy, I feel as though I'm in the shit and I didn't even do anything! Its not like I summoned her via mind control or something! "You were saying Dobe; what is your reason?"

To lie or not to lie? That is the next big question. Sasuke is far to smart to see through anything I can make up on the spot. So that pretty much rules out a plead of temporary insanity, though, he may buy it. He already thinks I'm an idiot why not also let him think I'm crazy? Okay I'm taking way too long to reply to him, he's gotta know now that anything but the truth coming from my lips will be instantly rejected and probably make him even more annoyed. WHAT SHOULD I DO? Why brain, why? You get me into such terrible predicaments! Well...I guess it's time to tell the truth.

"Fine, to be honest Sasuke I'm curious about that phone call you got the other night. I mean I thought something happened to Itachi and you were bottling it all up but that turned out to be a bust. So I thought maybe if I got a little closer to you, you'd actually let me in and we could have an actual conversation without you blocking me off with your impassible block of ice." Sasuke laughed a little and that actually pissed me off a little. What the hell? He wanted the truth, he got it. And now he's just going to laugh at it? Oh he's lucky we're in a public place and my father's trying to become something big!

"That's all fine and good Dobe, but I've told you its not any of your concern. It's not even that big of a deal."

"Really? Really Sasuke. I beg to differ. I mean we were connecting and actually being kind to each other but then you get that phone call and you completely retract into yourself. It can't just be nothing and technically it is my concern!" I said in a slightly hushed yell. I had slammed my hands down at some time during the speech, balling them into fists. It was annoying to have Sasuke blatantly lie to my face. I'm not Itachi, I won't put up with Sasuke's bullshit as readily!

Sasuke's gaze got a little more haughty and scornful. "Really Dobe? And why exactly would it concern you? You're not my family, hell I can barely call us friends. We're just housemates. That's all. If I don't want you to be in my personal business then you should respect that decision."

"But Sasuke I can help you! Don't you get that? No one should handle this burden alone!" Did he not understand that or something? Surely someone as smart as him should be able to understand my position on this! "Why won't you talk to me Sasuke? I mean I understand that we've had our differences in the past but shutting me out when you might really need me is just going to be detrimental to your mental health!"

"I never asked for your help Dobe. I've been handling all this shit on my own so far, I don't need your divine intervention to come down and save me from myself. I'm not suicidal, hell I'm almost more happy than I was now that my father kicked the bucket. He controlled my life and I'm finally free of him. Is that what you want to hear Naruto? I'm glad he's dead and I hope he burns in Hell."

Okay maybe Sasuke's issues with his father go much deeper than I thought. I couldn't do much more than just drop the conversation. I mean, what do you say to that? Hatred is only natural, especially when someone is trying to control you? But even then it didn't really spawn hatred, more in the family of resentment. If only I knew what else Fugaku had done to Sasuke. I mean it couldn't have just been limited to controlling him, oh no. That much hatred doesn't just come from one thing. There must have been dozens of isolated incidents where Fugaku crossed the line and made Sasuke hate him. But what could they be? Could he have been abused? I highly doubt that. Itachi doesn't seem like the type who would take that lying down, especially since it seems that he's going out of his way to protect Sasuke. Not letting the Teme go back to house is the perfect example. So what else?

Unfortunately I couldn't ask anymore questions and Sasuke wasn't talking so the best thing I could do is eat in silence and drink my coffee.

The waitress came back with our food and suddenly I wasn't as hungry as I was before. But, I'm not one to waste, especially since Sasuke was being kind enough to pay the entire bill. Uh, it's like he's guilt tripping me via delicious food!

We finished our food and paid the woman in silence. Sasuke even left her a very nice tip. It was an awkward walk back to his car but we just acted as though nothing had happened, like most people do. But I could tell that Sasuke's disposition had softened, if only a little. If I backed off for a little while perhaps he would just pretend to forget that entire conversation never took place, because I sure as hell don't want to think about it anymore.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said finally and I was, well, completely shocked. He was sorry? For what? Actually letting out some of his probably long pent up emotions. "I lost my cool back there and I probably shocked you a little bit. But Dobe, you'll never understand the resentment and hatred I have for my father. Yours is very different from mine." Well I guess that's true. Compared to Fugaku, my dad is probably dad of the year. But it still didn't make me less curious about what was swirling around Sasuke's head.

"I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to pry Sasuke, I just want to help you but I understand now that you don't want it and I'll back off, alright?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not used to people doing nice things for me like that Dobe. They're always too obsessed with what I am and not who I am. The only one who really cared was Itachi and as we got older, we started to slowly drift apart, it got better after he went to college and couldn't see me as much but it still hurt." Holy shit. Sasuke has so many feelings it's almost insane. I mean I can kinda completely relate to that!

As corny as it is, I put my hand on top of his on the steering wheel. "Sasuke, listen. I know you may not think much of me, perhaps nothing more than just a pest that you have to deal with until Itachi gets better, but you gotta know that I'm here for you. Whenever you need an ear or a shoulder to cry on, let me have that responsibility. No one deserves to suffer alone..." I've been watching too many sad and cliche movies, apparently Sasuke thought so too because he chuckled a little bit.

"Whatever Dobe, as long as you don't make anymore lame speeches about my tortured teenage soul, I think I can make this work."

"Sasuke as your psychiatrist I have to make stupid speeches about your angst and ask constantly about how you're feeling. That's how breakthroughs are made. Have you never seen a movie?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned on the car. "You do realize Naruto that if you did actually ask how I felt constantly that I would stop talking to you."

"Oh come on, we live in the same house neighbor, you would have to talk to me eventually. Like to ask me to pass the salt, or hand you the remote..."

Sasuke pulled out of the restaurant and headed towards the school. He looked amused at the way the conversation had turned. He seemed to like how it was all sarcasm and stupid comments. In fact, I liked it too. It was like we were clearing the air and proving we were able to actually have more than just serious or school related learning conversations. It was nice. Perhaps now Sasuke and I can be friends, which is almost a foreign concept to me after everything that's happened.

We pulled up at the school, about twenty minutes before it actually started. I needed to remind Sasuke that Kakashi was always late to first period but he seemed distracted. We both got out of the car and then I followed his gaze towards the front steps of the entrance. A man was standing there in a black suit and purple tie; his skin was sickly pale, hair long and black, and his eyes, they held such a sinister tone that I actually got chills. Maybe it was the snake like appearance that freaked me out, but I wasn't sure.

Who the fuck was this guy? And why did Sasuke seem like he knew exactly who he was? I glanced over at him and he seemed visibly more tense, his jaw was set in a stern lock and his eyes seemed dark, almost angry. Well there goes our happy mood of the day. But in all seriousness, who the fuck is this guy?

"Sasuke..." He turned to me and gave me the most serious look I had ever seen. It screamed 'leave it alone, Dobe' but I couldn't just let it die on my tongue. My curiosity was getting the best of me again. Then a thought donned on me, why hadn't I thought of it before? This must have been whoever had called Sasuke that night. More than likely after the call Sasuke started ignoring him, which would make him show up here. But that doesn't really give me a good idea about who he is and what he's here to do. "Sasuke..." I said his name more desperately than I intended and he crossed over to the other side of the car where I stood, a little more nervous than I liked. The man checked his watch and then leaned back against the small concrete wall that held the stairs in place.

"Naruto, listen to me. No matter what that man says or does, we have to keep moving, alright? Don't let him get to you Dobe. He's nothing but trouble." Sasuke whispered, the words falling from his mouth like they were bitter, rotting, and unpalatable.

"But Sasuke, who is he?" I looked back at him and I almost couldn't believe it. He spotted us! And he was moving towards our location. Why is my heart beating so fast? For one this guy wants nothing from me. His target is Sasuke and for some reason, that really freaked me out.

"Naruto, I promise I'll explain, but for now we need to _move._" I followed Sasuke's orders and just for a little added help he placed his hand on the small of my back, pushing me along as we moved towards him.

"Sasuke, you cruel thing, you haven't been returning my calls." Sasuke's eyes iced over and he just glared at the man. I could feel his anger radiating through the touch on my back. The Teme was very, very pissed. He seemed poised for an attack, like an animal who was cornered. I didn't like how tense and angry Sasuke was, it was starting to make me feel nervous. "Sasuke, don't ignore me. We need to talk and you know it."

"I have no business with you, Orochimaru. Leave before I call the police and file a restraining order. I don't appreciate being stalked." Sasuke said with a cold flip of his tongue. Now there were question buzzing and swirling around my head like a hive of bees. WHO THE FUCK WAS THIS DUDE AND WHAT DID HE WANT? I mean if he actually was stalking Sasuke I might actually have to step in and do something. Sasuke moved his hand from the small of my back so it was resting around my waist, pulling me closer. He must have read my body language or something. The Teme must have known I might fly off the handle and try to kick some ass!

"After all I've done for you, you say that to me?" The man started to laugh, a sickening chuckle that built from the back of his throat and worked slowly upwards, making his lips part in a very sinister smirk. He grabbed Sasuke's wrist, pulling me away from me and bring him so he was face to face with this snake. "I'll play this game with you Sasuke, but you should know by now that I always win."

"Is there a problem here?" Oh I have never been so happy to see Tsunade in my entire life. Not only was she the principal but she was also the coach for power lifting. I have never seen a woman more powerful than her in my entire life. That Orochimaru guy let go of Sasuke cast Tsunade a small glance.

"Of course not, I was just leaving." He said and Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest, a glare coming onto her face.

"Allow me to escort you out..."

They left and I actually let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. I don't know why but that entire situation was so...Stressful. Like I actually was clenching and everything.

Sasuke turned towards me, putting a hand back on my shoulder. "Come on, let's go to first period." I was never so relieved to actually enter the school.

As I've noticed, Sasuke doesn't make very good on what he says he's going to do. I mean we went through the entire day not talking about what had happened, even though Sasuke owed me an explanation. Though, to be honest, I almost didn't want to know what the hell was going on. That guy, I don't know why, scared the living crap out of me. And the way he just grabbed onto Sasuke like the Teme wasn't going to unleash the beast freaked me out! I've never seen ANYONE brave enough to actually try and grab the bastard.

I stared at the digital clock in my room. It was about two in the morning and I know I shouldn't be losing sleep over this but I couldn't help it. All this shit was running through my mind and I couldn't get it to shut off. I just wanted to sleep and forget everything, if only for a little while.

Tapping, that's all I heard when I realized I had dozed off for a little bit. It had only been for about ten minutes and I was slightly aggravated to have a visitor at such a late time. But I knew it was Sasuke. My father was wise enough not to wake me up before it was even a tiny bit light out. He came in quietly and sat next to me on the bed.

"Sasuke? What is it? It's like not even the butt crack of dawn."

He leaned over me and before I could realize what was happening there were very soft, sweet lips pressed against my own. What the hell? My brain must be foggy or this must be some kind of hallucination. But after that, I knew, it wasn't my imagination playing tricks on me. Why did I know this? Well, somehow during my shock at what was happening, Sasuke managed to tie my wrists to the head board. The pain of the ropes rubbing against my skin was unmistakable. I had to be awake and I had to be actually feeling it. There was no way my mind could create such an annoying throb.

"What the hell are you do-" He clamped a hand over my mouth, shushing my softly. For some reason I complied to him forcing me to be silent. I don't know why but it just seemed like if I did, I might actually get an explanation.

"I can't sleep Dobe and you know what I used to do when that happened? I'd sleep around with the boys at my private school, all our rooms were separated by barely two feet of floor so it was easy for me to satisfy my whirling mind. And now Dobe, you will be my sleep aid. You will help me forget my troubles..." What...WHAT IS THIS? He removed the hand over my mouth only to shove something between my teeth, very effectively gagging me and keeping me from making much noise besides the occasional muffled swear. "Hush Dobe, I promise I'll make you feel good too. Remember, there's a mutual attraction between us and I always get what I want so don't fight me."

Of all the nights I actually slept in the nude, who knew this would be the one where Sasuke actually picked to seduce me. He pulled the blanket off my body, biting his lip a little to contain the lust spilling from his eyes at my naked vulnerability. Slowly, Sasuke trailed a finger down my chest, ghosting sweet touches against my skin leaving a blisteringly hot area in its wake. Why must my body react like this? Why can't I control my sex drive? I was already starting to get hard.

"Your body Naruto, it's beautiful. And soft. When I saw you naked for the first time today, I was actually excited. You hide your beauty under bagging clothes but I can see the truths you bury beneath clothes. Sculpted, tan, sexy. Why must you taunt me so? Especially with such a great dick..." His voice made me shiver. There was such a deep seeded lust blossoming in his tone. I wanted him to touch me. So badly I wanted that contact. It was like Sasuke could read my thoughts because his lips quickly replaced his finger, trailing and kissing all over my skin. Softly his lips grazed over my nipple making me turn away with pleasure. I almost couldn't look at him, what he was doing. It was all too much and I really didn't understand. Why was he doing this? "Do you like it?" I looked down at him when he started to suck on my nipple, twirling the other with his hand and making me arch up to the touch. I had never been caressed like that. It was so...Good. I let out a muffled sigh and he smirked a little, seeming to like the reactions he was getting from me.

"I want more..." Sasuke muttered, his gaze was frosted over with a sheet of lust making me want to touch him. He actually looked human and vulnerable when he expressed his desire like this. It was arousing to say the least. I liked seeing Sasuke so caught up in what he wanted and felt, the lack of restraint on his expressions as they crossed his beautiful face. I was losing myself to his touch, his kiss, his everything. I wanted to surrender completely and just let him use my body.

Sasuke touched the tip of my cock with his lips, allowing it to slowly penetrate through his mouth. I was only about half hard when he started but as soon as I felt those soft lips give way to a heated, moist cavern, I was a goner. His tongue made gently sweeping motions as he pulled his mouth up and down my cock, bring me to full hardness in moments. He pulled back all the way, letting the cool air hit my heated flesh and cause a delicious shiver down my spine. Sasuke knew what he was doing, unlike me who's best chance at getting laid was his right hand. He took the head into his mouth again, sucking and kissing it until a small bead of pre-cum leaked out. He smirked again, making him seem far more predatory than I had thought previously. But that still didn't mean I didn't feel good, I actually almost liked this power shift. I kind of liked him having this sick control over me and how my body reacted to such touches.

He continued to suck, drawing strangled moans and choked sobs from my mouth. It was going too slow and too fast at the same time. The way he hollowed his cheeks to give more suction, the way he fondled and handled my sac, and the way he would allow his throat to relax to fit more and more of me inside. He was trying to make me cum, I could feel it. There was a twisting, aching sensation in my stomach and every time my hips jerked I could feel more and more pre-cum escaping down Sasuke's well trained throat.

Sasuke pulled his head back and smirked a little before reaching down into his pocket. He held the thing in his hand up so the moonlight created a faint outline of what it was. If I wasn't mistaken it actually seemed to be a cock ring...Oh no! He was going to use that on me. There really wasn't much I could do about it either since Sasuke must be like the wizard of knot tying. I could barely move my arms, let alone free myself. The ring was firmly set around my cock and I couldn't help but feel anger by it, it was blocking my orgasm, denying me bliss.

"Dobe, you can't honestly expect me to leave without getting a good fuck out of you." Why did that sound like Sasuke didn't want to fuck me in the ass? Perhaps I should have figured that out sooner when he hadn't tried to shove his fingers or anything else inside, the kinky fucker. "I'm really horny..." Sasuke got up from the bed, stripping down to his natural form, naked and glorious. His dick was hard, and I mean HARD. It was actually so full of blood that it was taunt against his stomach. "I'm wet too...You'd be able to take me without any preparation, which is good...I want it raw and hard..."

My dick was throbbing and begging for release and it only did even more when Sasuke finally, very elegantly, straddled my waist, aligning my cock against his wet entrance. He teased us both for a bit, rubbing the head against his hole bringing such arousing sounds from his lips. They weren't falling on deaf ears either, even small noise brought a heightened sense of pleasure which burned for more contact. "Are you ready for Heaven Dobe?"

When I entered him, the heat and sheer tightness took me over, making me crave for more. But I wasn't in control here, Sasuke was and that's just how he liked it because the look on his face was on of complete ecstasy.  
>-<p>

**Don't hate me guys but this is where I'm stopping, the rest of the lemon will come in the next chapter :D And maybe we'll also get some answers! But I doubt it!**

**1. This didn't happen to me, but it did happen to one of my friends. She didn't cut her toe, but she did kick the faucet and pass out. Personally I think it gives this story character xD**

**Naruto: Nice foreshadowing.  
>Me: Why thank you! You noticed!<br>Naruto: There's no way a rape comment could get past me without instantly making me suspicious of you :D  
>Me:...Is that a good thing?<br>Naruto: No. It probably isn't.  
>Me: Oh well. This was Hitoko-sama...Also, don't kill me! :D<br>**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay so I know what you're all thinking...Yes, I did re-upload the chapter. And why did I do it? Well, lets just say that I made some artist changes you will all be very happy about. Especially since you won't have to go back through your email or wait for me to email you xD Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this version just as much as the old one. If not then I have failed you. xD Naruto's PV  
><strong>-

You know that awkward moment when you're being rode hard by your roommate? You don't? There's probably a good reason for that. Or your roommate actually understands boundaries. Sasuke, however, obviously didn't give a flying fuck about that. And by the way he was bounding on my dick, if he did care, this was the only fuck he was going to give. See what I did there?

God I hated to admit it but Sasuke knew what he was doing. The tightening and release of his muscles as he went down, it was perfect. And he had a way of rolling his hips that made my toes curl. I couldn't tell if it was because I was so close to orgasm or because of the way Sasuke was losing himself in this moment, that I was loving this so much. Come to think of it, this was probably the most honest Sasuke had actually ever been with me. He let expressions grace his face that he didn't seem to ever want to share with anyone else.

Sasuke leaned in and he started to fumble with the constraints on my wrists. As much as I wanted to knock him off of me when my hand got free, I couldn't. There was such a seductive edge to this moment, such a powerful grasp that threatened not to release me. So, I complied. And I complied fully. When my hands were freed, I ripped the gag out of my mouth, grabbing Sasuke's head and pulling him down to meet me. The spark of his lips made everything tingle. He started to nibble on my bottom lip, rolling it softly between his teeth as he pulled up. I arched to get more of his mouth and that's when I realized I was now in a sitting position, hands firmly gripping Sasuke's grinding, rolling hips and pounding into him deeply while our mouths glued themselves shut.

Moans and groans, all barely the loudness of a whisper broke our kiss. Those sounds peppered this moment with all of that passion, that raw desire I had been scared of. It was good, too good almost. I couldn't help but feel caught up…I was so entangled in Sasuke. I needed all of him…To touch him, to taste him. To just be so deep within his sweetness and wildness that I would be addicted. Addicted to all of this. I felt like I never wanted to let him go.

"Naruto…" He let my name slip from his lips and I couldn't help but feel a soothing burn within my body. Sasuke's hands were atop my shoulders as he steadied himself, moving his hips to meet my more sporadic thrusting. I took a deep breath and steeled myself. It was pointless to get too excited anyway, I couldn't cum with this damn ring on my dick. Sneaky Uchiha bastard. "Mmm, it's good, Naruto."

Self-control? Where are you when I need you? Oh wait you've temporarily stepped out because Sasuke just whispered the sexiest thing I've ever heard into my ear! Damn he knew how to get me to react. How is he doing this and doing it so well?

I felt a strained, almost angry feeling in my chest. Dear gods no, please don't tell me I'm getting jealous of Sasuke's other bed partners. I mean I've had a few people share the pleasure of my company. Most normal teenagers have and I don't need to be making a super big deal out of this…

Oh who am I kidding? I was jealous of Sasuke's previous lovers. I mean they got to partake of this nectar. This last temptation. They got to feel Sasuke's skilled hands, lips, and body before I did. And the deeper I was getting into this, the more I wanted to do to him. The more I wanted to taste him, feel him, pleasure him. I wanted to outshine everyone else he had ever been with.

That's when I made mistake number one.

I knocked Sasuke back so he was lying face up. He didn't seem to mind at first because I was still thrusting, which seemed to be the only thing he cared about. Until I realized that he was shoving at my knee so I would lose balance in an attempt to flip me over. Sasuke got off on being in control, I noticed. And this was the best way he could do it. Be on top while being the bottom.

He flipped the two of us over again and as he smirked at me. "No, no. This is my rodeo and I'm going to enjoy the ride." How could he have said that with a straight face? And without breaking it up with his little moans? That's when I donned on me. This wasn't about me; well not really. I mean I was still feeling good. It's really hard for a guy not to enjoy sex. But Sasuke was using me, for what I wasn't completely sure. To help him sleep like he said? To help him forget his troubles? There was far more to this than just the sex. "Stop drifting off into space Dobe."

Sasuke looked into my eyes, the smirk that rested inside them starting to really get me going. I grabbed his hips again, laying back more and propping up my knees. The way my cock was slipping in and out of his dripping, warm hole made me shiver. Gods it was good, not just to watch but to feel. And I knew I was striking him in his sweet spot because of the look on his face, the way the sound of his voice changed. It was also getting harder and harder for him to be quiet.

The arch of Sasuke's back as he received a particularly rough trust made me realize just how fucking beautiful he was. Like a damn untamed horse or something. The wildness in his eyes, the sloppiness of his disposition. The sheer beauty of it all made me weak in the knee. The moon was breaking through the clouds and shining through my window. It illuminated Sasuke's skin, causing it to be strikingly paler than on the average. He seemed to also be shimmering from the beads of sweat dripping from his body and catching the light just right. When he shut his eyes, even just for a slight moment, there seemed to be a peacefulness about him.

"Sasuke…" He shushed me and then sealed his lips over mine.

"I know…I'm close too."

He must have been able to tell from the shaking of my limbs and the desperation in which I met his amazing hips. His cock was weeping from how long he was prolonging his orgasm. He must not have had sex in a while because even to me this was seeming to go fast. But of course my mind was so blurry with pleasure I had absolutely no sense of time. It could be ten minutes since we started or two hours. I just knew that I wanted it to be over, that I wanted us both to have our climaxes. To feel that ultimate bliss as we pushed each other over the edge.

I grabbed onto his cock, starting to jerk it in time with my thrusts and he whined, ever so softly. I have never wanted to shoot my load so bad. "Sasuke, take it off." He nodded and stopped pushing himself down. I was still jerking him off and he was fumbling with the ring on my cock. Gods it was so painful but as soon as I felt him pulling, relief flooded me.

"Don't cum yet, idiot." Sasuke said a little more breathless than he probably would have preferred. I could tell he wanted me to fill him and I wasn't one to deny Sasuke's requests. I shoved my cock back inside him and he sighed, shaking as the feeling burst through my system. The pleasure was amazing. He was getting so tight as he got closer and closer to flying over the edge. I had never felt this good before in my entire life. "Naruto, fuck…"

"Shh…" I muttered it against his skin and he was getting more and more sporadic. I wasn't doing much better. I could already feel the muscles of my body getting sore from doing so much activity with such jerky motions. "Just a little more…"

Sasuke couldn't hold it for a little more, he came hard. And to make sure he would be quiet when he did it, he bit down on his hand. It wasn't hard enough to draw blood but Sasuke seemed far more lucid than he did before we started this charade. His muscles milked me for all I was worth when he came, the sheer tightness, wetness of them making it too hard to stand. And gods was it good when I was finally able to release, his orgasm sucking mine out.

Sasuke leaned forward, hands pressed against my shoulders as he panted, getting more and more of a grip on himself. He smirked. "I told you I always get what I want."

For some reason, that was not reassuring to me.

You know that awkward moment when you just butt-fucked your housemate and it goes completely silent? You don't? Well aren't you fucking lucky. Because holy damn is it the most awkward experience you'll have in your entire life. Okay so, I'll admit it. The sex with Sasuke was better than great, it was like…Sensational or some other adjective to describe the amazingness I just witnessed…With my dick.

But my fears were coming to life. It was awkward, so painfully awkward. And what was even worse? Sasuke wasn't leaving my bed. I hadn't picked him to be the cuddling type and he hadn't shocked me because he actually didn't cuddle. He just laid down in my bed with me sitting next to him, basking in the afterglow in which I like to call 'sex glory'. And it's not like I could strike up a conversation with him. What exactly would I say. 'Oh hey Sasuke, thanks for the amazing sex. Do you wanna go get coffee or something?' He isn't some random dude I picked up from the bar. He was my roommate!

And it wasn't like I could ask him about anything else either because he would just tell me to shut up and go to bed. Or he would try to sex me again so I would drop the subject. More than likely I would too because I'd be too exhausted to push it any farther. So…Do I just go to sleep then? Because I'm pretty sure I can't sleep with all of this rushing around in my head. I need to get out.

I got up from the bed and Sasuke rolled over to look at me. "What are you doing?" His voice was heavy with exhaustion and it looked like he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Nothing really. Just gunna go for a little drive." I said and he shook his head, pointing at the bed. Obviously he wasn't just satisfied with my smell that lingered on the bed. He wanted me as well.

"Don't leave. You're warm." Oh so I was a space heater now? For some reason I felt myself moving back towards him and I sat down on the bed again. This time Sasuke made sure I wasn't going to get back up because he grasped me in his arms, pulling me into a soft embrace.

I don't know why but I felt more and more disturbed the longer Sasuke held me. I mean what was that just now? It was obviously not just sex he was wanting considering he could have screwed anyone who had eyes. I mean the Uchiha is drop dead gorgeous, we can all admit it. Come on world, we know it, don't we? But besides that, what did he want then? Comfort? Somehow I doubted that because Sasuke didn't even want my pity when he moved in; he didn't want me to be his shoulder. That's what he implied from earlier encounters, right? He wasn't ready to open up, he wasn't ready for me to be inside his head. Anyone can tell that Sasuke was going slowly warm up to me, if he did at all, before telling me his inner most monologues. And I respect that but this is just so confusing. I mean…What does he want from me?

Again I can't help but come back to the whole sex idea. Sex was sex and everyone enjoys having it for the most part. And he said we had an attraction, so what if it was just satisfying a lust? Just adding another notch in his belt? I wouldn't bet that Sasuke had a bit of a track record because no virgin knows how to move their hips like that. Even if they watch porn obsessively! Cause damn, Sasuke got all that shit goin' on! Plus, I doubt he would give his virginity to me. I wouldn't even give my virginity to myself, I have no game.

So…What then? Just sex? Just an escape? Did he want to be more than friends? Okay so we can't really be called friends but you know what I mean. I swear Sasuke needed to come with a manual. Then maybe I would know how to handle this situation. But nope, life don't work like that. I wonder how many problems would have been solved if people had manuals…Well, I guess relationships would work better. At the very least.

"Naruto, go to bed. We need to get up early in the morning, remember?" Sasuke said as he pushed my chest. How the hell did he know I was still awake when I didn't know he was? He had his eyes closed the entire time and I was laying down. That sneaky bastard has his ways…Maybe he's psychic. That would be…Actually that would be pretty awesome. "Are you awake fully, Dobe? Because I'm too tired to go another round. But I can suck you off if you really want."

"That's not necessary." Especially since my nerves were still on fire from the sex. I don't need to over-stimulate my damn self. I would get desensitized or something. And how horrible would that be? Not being able to enjoy sex because it wasn't exciting…I wouldn't want to live in a world like that. It would be a dark place…Like a terrible cave.

Well I've already been left in the dark I guess. Being spoon fed lies by Sasuke. I mean he obviously doesn't want me to know certain aspects of his life. But I mean everyone's like that, right? There aren't things they want everyone to know. But it's not like I would tell anybody. It would be between me and him, no one else. Maybe I should just give up on prying or asking…

Gods, I'm such a pussy. In case you couldn't tell, I'm stuck on whether I really want to know the truth to Sasuke's actions. They say that ignorance is bliss but I wouldn't be satisfied by turning a blind eye. I'd already been starring into the sun for too long.**(1)** And I can't be sated by the shadows any longer. New information had its price and I was willing to pay it.

So I laid there for awhile, letting Sasuke sleep in my bed. My mind still too busy to let me get the relief of sleep until five in the morning. The entire time I had been awake, I was actually a little nervous because of my dad. I knew we had been quiet during the sex because of him, but I hadn't thought of what weirdness would have occurred if he actually walked in at any point. I mean what would you think if you saw your son with the person he claimed to hate? And even worse, they were both naked and guys…Old people didn't get the tolerance thing as well as the younger generations, ya dig?

But dad never wandered in. And at about six in the morning, my alarm went off and both of us groaned. I had barely gotten an hour of sleep and I didn't doubt that Sasuke was fairing much better. He was the one who got it up the ass and that meant he was tired, sore, and probably hating everything. But I also had my limits, I couldn't do it. Not today. I just wanted to curl up and die. To me, nothing was worse than getting less than two hours of sleep and going to school. I always tended to do crazy things and be in super ass mode when that happened. Sasuke seemed reluctant as well, completely opposing the idea of going to school. He curled up towards me, tucking his head by my neck. His body was also protesting. I say fuck it, I'm so not caring that I'm not going to school. But Sasuke, however might be an attendance freak.

"Sasuke," I muttered. "Go on without me. I'm so not going today."

Sasuke mumbled something under his breath and rolled away so he could look at me. Well, that was at least what it felt like because I didn't exactly have my eyes open. Remember sleep is very important and wonderful to me. I would take micro-naps during this entire conversation with the bastard if I could. "Get up Dobe. You don't have to deal with as much as I do. My ass is sore and I'm exhausted."

"Not my fault." I grumbled. "It was your idea to jump my bones."

"Seemed like the best idea at the time." Sasuke muttered, getting to his feet. "You weren't sleeping either. I know you weren't." He stretched, wincing a little as he did so. I heard him whine when he yawned, that's how I knew. "Wait…" I didn't respond. For a moment I actually stopped caring about what he had to say. Shocking as it may seem because he was supposed to be my teenage obsession. But I was way too tired to keep up this conversation any longer. "Naruto…It's Saturday. You set your alarm to go off everyday."

Every god in existence is smiling upon me. They know benevolence. Yes, glory to everything. And since it was Saturday my dad wouldn't be home at all so we didn't have to worry about him walking in. Who lucked out? My bitch ass! I'm going to sooo enjoy this sleep.…Or at least I was until I got a call. Oh, I was gunna throw up on everyone who got in my way today. I don't care that it's gross, I don't care that it's super impractical. I'm all kinds of pissed off! I grabbed my phone, noticing that it wasn't a number I had in my address book. Oh yay, it was some asshole. That meant I got to tell them off for calling at the ass end of dawn! Everything works out kids, everything works out.

"Is there a particular reason you decided to be an asshole and ruin someone's day?" Yes, that's how I answered my phone. I don't care if I'm being a completely fucking jerk, I really don't. This fucker started it when they called me at a retarded time in the morning. No one calls this early in the morning!

"_Why yes, there was."_Holy shit I was just a complete asshole to none other than Uchiha Itachi. Wait…How the fuck did he get my number? _"Naruto, I need to speak with you about matters pertaining to a certain little brother of mine. If you could keep this a secret it would be greatly appreciated."_

A part of me felt that Sasuke knew that something was going on. Because I went from being an ass to completely silent. And he was still stalking around my room, stretching, an eyeing me the entire time. And it was an expectant kind of look…Like he wanted me to tell him what was going on. What a contradiction. Maybe this was how Sasuke acted when he was sleep deprived, a nosy little fuck. He certainly didn't seem like the royal jackass he usually was. Sasuke slipped back into my bed and I instantly jumped up, moving into the bathroom. If Itachi wanted this conversation secret, I wouldn't allow Sasuke to have the chance to overhear anything.

I closed the door and heard shuffling in my bed. Okay maybe he was just going back to sleep. _"My brother is with you right now isn't he?"_ So obviously being psychic runs in the Uchiha family…Either that or Itachi just knows everything.

"Yes, yes he is. But I'm in the bathroom now so you don't have to worry about him eavesdropping." I said into the phone, finally saying something after my first rude comment. "So, what's the reason for this call Itachi? I never thought you'd actually talk to me besides a 'thanks' for Sasuke staying with us."

"_And I do appreciate your generosity. Your father is a very giving man even after mine tried to uproot him. So, I do thank you for putting up with Sasuke, even if I believe this isn't much of a burden on__**you**__."_Itachi began. I don't like the way he put the emphasis on 'you'…It was like he already knew Sasuke and I had fucked. Damn, maybe he was psychic. Maybe his pain meds gave him that power, I mean he had been in the hospital for about two or three weeks now. And that means he have a lot of time for the power to be absorbed. _"But as for this call Naruto, I need you to promise me that you'll never let Sasuke know. I mentioned this before, but you must know how serious I am about it. I have much I need to discuss with you."_

"Okay…" It was a little weird that Itachi had wanted to talk to me. I mean, I've barely spoke five words to the guy before this and now he was calling me up like we were old friends. Whatever, I have a feeling this is about Sasuke anyway. But maybe…Itachi would give me some answers. I should exploit this a little bit. "I'm all ears, so lay it on me."

"_Not like this."_ And I was confused for a moment. He was the one who said he wanted to talk about shit, right? So why couldn't we talk now that we're on the phone? Was this a far too private matter for the phone? _"Naruto, I'm very sorry if I woke you and I know this is awkward for you provided we hadn't spoke much before this moment…But, I need you to come down to the hospital. I need to speak with you in private. Don't bring Sasuke."_

This sounded like it was about to get sooo complicated. But I can't exactly say 'no' to Itachi. It was like he got thrown down the garbage disposal and saved at the last second. There was no way I could reject his invitation. Plus, what the fuck else was I doing today? "Okay, but can I go back to sleep first? I only got like an hour."

"_Take as much time as you need."_Itachi said, his words slurring a little. _"I have no where to go and I just got my pain meds so I'll be pretty out of it for three or so hours."_

I ended the conversation saying I would be there about two or so in the afternoon. Because one, it was a normal time, and two Sasuke wouldn't be as suspicious. I walked back into my bedroom and Sasuke was sleeping, soundly, all cuddled up. It was so cute. Like seriously, Sasuke was all hot and shit when he was awake and swaggering around but when he was sleeping, he was all peaceful. His features were softened and I just wanted to kiss his little sleeping face. -

Okay so Sasuke sleeps like a rock. I woke up an hour before I was supposed to meet Itachi and Sasuke was still sleeping. I got up, got ready, and I mean I made a hell of a lot of noise doing this because I'm not quiet at all, and he slept through it all. I thought about waking him up but I decided against it. He would just be curious about where I was going and what was I supposed to tell him? 'Super secret meeting, sorry.' No thanks, I don't want him trying to beat the answer out of me. Or sex it out…I would be late then.

I got downstairs and noticed a note on the counter with some money next to it. Probably something from my dad about getting food and blah, blah. He should have known by now that this is all old news. I know the drill. I got this shit on lock!

I grabbed my keys and headed out the door and as soon as I was about to get into my car, Sasuke's head pops up in my window. I tried my best to ignore him but he ended up throwing one of my long abandoned shirts. I don't know how he did it, but it slammed me right in the face. He had the aim of a champion. "Where are you going, Dobe?"

"Why do you care?" I replied throwing the shirt into my car. I was about to get in when he grabbed something with a little more weight. One of my shoes. It hit me in the shoulder and I was wishing I had a paint ball gun or something so he'd leave my ass alone. He was grimacing as I glanced back up at him. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"I asked you a question, Dobe." Sasuke replied with a smirk, making me feel like an idiot for not figuring it out myself. I could be quite thick sometimes but whatever. He didn't need to come with me. He was a big boy now and could stay home alone.

"You're such an ass!" Oh shit. I needed to come up with something convincing on the spot about what to lie about otherwise Sasuke would just chase me down with his car. And I know he could do it with no problems too. I could even get a head start and he'd still cream my ass. "Do you really want to spend some of your day with me and Kiba, you know the one who tackles me to the ground?" And with that, Sasuke shut the window. Sounds like a 'no' to me.

After that little excursion it may have occurred to me that may have been Sasuke trying to normalize everything that happened last night. I mean, we did act a little awkward and out of character after sex. But I don't see how that wouldn't have happened. But whatever. What would we have done? Snuggled on the couch and ate ice cream? Not my style. Plus this venture would prove to be far more interesting. It's not everyday you get called up by Itachi to dish. And girl, I was gunna get that dirt.

I arrived at the hospital, and admittedly, I did speed. I was a little more than excited to see Itachi. He had, more than likely, all the information I needed. Especially about that super shady Orochimaru character. This seemed really important though. I mean why else would he call me? Well, besides the fact that maybe he just needed someone to talk to. I did have that face…Or, a far more realistic reason was, this was a way to check up on Sasuke and didn't want the little bastard to know he was going behind his back. It was kinda sad that Sasuke was treating Itachi like this. You would think he'd be less of a brat because of everything that happened, but I suppose he really doesn't know how to act. His experiences and interactions probably deprogrammed Sasuke from normal human behavior.

I walked through the sliding glass doors and got up to the counter where a nurse was sitting at a computer. When she noticed me, she smiled. "How can I help you?"

"I was looking for Uchiha Itachi's room." I said and she wrote down his room number for me.

"He's been recently moved out of the ICU and into the rehabilitation unit. That's on the third floor."

I thanked her for her time and made my way upward getting into a very cramped elevator. I stared over at a man, holding a bouquet of flowers and wondered if I should have gotten something like that for Itachi. I mean with his family dead he may not have someone to bring him such things. And it was the normal thing to do when someone you knew was in the hospital, right? I mentally shrugged. Technically this was a spur of the moment thing so I guess he couldn't be very expectant. And I have a feeling it would almost make it strangely awkward. But who knows?

When I got to his room I almost thought I should knock first, but he was expecting me, right? So I said fuck the knocking and gently pushed my way in.

When I finally set my eyes on him, I was a little shell shocked. There was Uchiha Itachi, looking so frail, so weak, surrounded by beeping, wheezing machines. He was white washed with all the sterile colors covering the surfaces of everything. It made the sheer blackness of his hair stand out all that much more. He was…Actually kinda beautiful. I never really noticed until now. He was that confident young man who wore expensive and well fitted suits. He was that man who stood proudly and actually looked quite brilliant and deep when he cracked a smirk on those pink lips. But now, he just looked so…Broken. As though he was a doll that no longer walked and talked and just needed to be sent out with the trash. I gulped a little as those piercing obsidian gems sparkled at me.

"Naruto, very glad you could come." Itachi's voice was strained, foggy almost. He must have still felt the pain, the medication, everything that had happened to him. But somehow he smiled a little when I came to sit next to him. "Tell me, how is my little brother?"

Yeah, I knew this was coming. So why did it surprise me nonetheless? Maybe it was because of how much he cared about Sasuke even though it was Itachi in the hospital. I've never seen someone who loved another like this…"Sasuke's fine. He seems as he usually does. Stand-offish, arrogant. A little more hot-tempered than I remember but generally all clear."

"Then he's suffering." Itachi muttered. He glanced over at me and patted me once on the shoulder with his good arm. "Sasuke puts up a good front but he's in pain. He may be relieved that father is finally gone but he's sad about mother and I."

"What could your father have done to make Sasuke hate him so much?" It slipped out and before I could apologize for a rude comment, Itachi chuckled. Maybe there was far more to this than I knew.

"What hadn't he done? Short of physical abuse, my father was a controlling, emotion and dream crushing son of a bitch." Itachi said without a single hint of remorse. "It was he that made Sasuke so cold and unapproachable. Years of mental abuse does that to a person. And what's worse was how much he controlled us, like we _had_ to be perfect and nothing less. It was something Sasuke couldn't live up to, no human can. And it made Sasuke believe that his own failures were like a personal apocalypse. Especially with me living as his older brother. We were constantly compared you know. Who was better, who was trailing behind. It drove a spike between us and I hated it. It took me until I was twenty to even work up the nerve to tell my father off. I love Sasuke very much…" Itachi blinked and looked over at me. "Forgive me, you've caught me on the edge of another dose of medication…So some of the things I say may come out without a filter."

"At least you'll always be honest…" Another thing I didn't particularly mean to say but it came out anyway. Who knows, maybe it was better to be less controlled with my speech since Itachi was obviously not as in control of his.

"Naruto, I didn't call you just to speak about my brother's emotional state. There are other reasons…One is to better get to know you." Aww that's so sweet. Itachi actually wants to know me…This makes me even more suspicious. He totally knows I nailed his brother. "The second is so you're not shocked at any change of events that may occur."

Oh no. Here's the cryptic Uchiha talk again. I guess Sasuke wasn't the only one who did it, but why was I surprised? They probably had their own secret language…What would you call a language like that? Just Uchiha? I would call it…Uchihese. Ugh, that's kinda atrocious sounding. We'll just call it Uchiha and be done with it.

"Listen…I know I'm going to put a lot on your plate right now but I'm not going to be with Sasuke to protect him while I'm in the hospital." Itachi said and he did sound a little more remorseful than I pictured. "You see, before the accident Sasuke was having a problems in his previous school with the headmaster."

"OROCHIMARU!" I yelled out. Please be right, please be right. I needed to crack this bitch wide open. I wanted answers!

"Yes…Actually. I'm surprised he told you about it." Itachi said with a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well," I felt the heat coming to my face from the sudden outburst and shrunk back into myself, twiddling my thumbs. "Sasuke didn't exactly tell me. I found out because he showed up at our school the other day and was waiting fo-"

Before I could even finish my statement Itachi grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pulled me close. And what was even worse was that it was with his broken arm. The sheer adrenaline must have been completely numbing the pain, because that shit would have hurt way too bad in any other case.

"Don't let that motherfucker near my little brother!" Holy shit Itachi just said a serious swear word and I think I just crapped myself. I have never seen such a terrifying look in anyone's eye before. It was one of desperation, one of sheer and utter anger. What could this dude have been doing that made Itachi this upset? It had to be big, no doubt about it.

"What is it Itachi, what's been going on?" I grasped on to his hand, letting him feel my warmth, my comfort. His heart rate was off the charts because of the sheer emotion running through him. He managed to calm himself after a few minutes and he shook his head. "It's okay Itachi…You don't have to tell me."

"No, I do. This is too important to let slip through the cracks. I can't ignore this anymore; mother and father turned a blind eye to it far too long." Itachi breathed out a little ragged. He pulled back his arm and coddled it to his body. Damn it, I knew he hurt himself. I almost wanted to suggest I come back but this was too important. "Sasuke attended a private school, you know of that yes?" I nodded and he continued. "While he was there he was caught sleeping around, little skank. But the headmaster excused it because that motherfucker was a pedophile, who just happened to luck out that year since Sasuke turned eighteen." I almost wanted to say something but before I could Itachi started again.

"I fucking saw this shit before Sasuke even went to the damn school but no one believed me. I saw the looks he gave the other boys and especially Sasuke…It made my blood boil." Itachi was shaking his head, he was seriously pissed off and all of his swearing was starting to scare me. I've never seen him so lacking in composure. "Anyway, he started harassing Sasuke and then it took a more sinister route and Orochimaru started stalking him. And since Sasuke lived at the school, he couldn't get away. No matter how much he begged mother and father. I was trying to get him out by gaining legal rights over him but that was a little ruined by the accident. Which, by the way, Orochimaru hid from Sasuke for as long as he could." That would explain how Sasuke's reaction was so delayed. Wow, this is getting more and more fucked up as we go. "And that's not even the worst of it," HOW COULD THIS NOT BE THE WORST?!

Itachi paused for a moment as though he was composing himself. It was obvious he was pissed off. To think Itachi saw this coming a mile away and no one fucking believed him. I would be SO pissed if this happened in front of me. Hell I'm just sitting here listening and I'm getting all worked up. Itachi licked his lips and angrily laughed, clenching his good fist. "He's been trying to gain custody of Sasuke since the accident. Even though I'm alive his argument is that I'll be incapacitated for the next few months as I recover and can't take care of a teenager**.(2)** Sasuke may be eighteen but he has no job and is still in school. And he still needs somewhat of a caretaker so Orochimaru's trying to adopt him."

"But that's when my father threw a wrench in his plan since he's become Sasuke's caretaker…"

"I heard you father has plans to try and legally gain guardianship of Sasuke until I'm healthy once more. If he wins this case, it could mean Sasuke is assured a healthy and safe environment while he waits for me."

I started laughing. "That Orochimaru creep has no case, my dad could beat him blindfolded!"

"Don't be so sure. Orochimaru has already started some proceedings. He claims that your father is just a stranger, and a politician, who's using Sasuke for the publicity and the money he'll get when the life insurances goes through. And Orochimaru also says that he and Sasuke have some kind of bond…" Itachi replied and I was a bit shocked at how well he was able to crack apart my expectations. To be honest, I don't really think ahead well.

"But you even said he was a pedo and a stalker! How can that not be a huge factor?"

"Not a single shred of proof. Plus when Sasuke attended the school he was eighteen. Still very young but old enough to consent if there was sexual contact. And even if there was rape there's still no evidence of it. That's where we're going to get the most hang ups," Itachi sighed, a little frustrated. He ran a hand through his loose hair and I felt like I wasn't helping at all. He was shooting me down at every turn. He obviously had lots of time to think.

"Shouldn't Sasuke's testimony be enough? I mean if Sasuke doesn't want to live with Orochimaru, he shouldn't have to."

"They'll blame it on emotional trauma and claim he's not stable enough to make his own decisions. That and he's a teenager, it can easily be argued that he doesn't know what he wants and cannot be relied upon to make choices that change his life." Was Itachi like nine steps ahead of everything? He already found every rebuttal to every argument. Maybe he should be a lawyer. I sighed and he nodded. "It's very frustrating but you have to build up a case and the arguments for it before you step into a court room. Being unprepared with overconfidence is a killer. But don't worry, I'm pretty sure when your father steps into the court room, he'll be ready. And besides that I've already planned for him to get some of the family lawyers, which I will be paying for."

"Itachi…" I paused for a moment and moved my chair so I was sitting closer to his bed. I put my hand on top of his and looked into his eyes. But before we both could say anything the door opened. I didn't think much of it at first until I saw a bit of a pissed look in Itachi's eye. I turned my head slowly and lo and behold, it was Sasuke. He was clapping and looking at the two of us, smirking.

"Very powerful speech Aniki," Sasuke said as he walked into the room. He handed his brother a bag full of something, but they smelled sweet. Itachi acted as though nothing was wrong and patted a spot for him on his bed. "I thought you'd be sick of hospital food so I got you dango." Itachi seemed pleased with the offering and took a skewer into his hand, eating them slowly. "So, were you enjoying spilling all of our personal affairs?"

"Don't be so vicious Otouto." I don't know why but I almost found it strange that they used more informal names to call each other. You would think since their family seemed so uppity and formal that they would stick to tradition and call say stuff like 'nii-san' but I guess they're full of surprises. "How long exactly were you hovering outside the door?"

"Long enough." Sasuke said as he glanced over Itachi's battered body. He removed a piece of lint from his shirt and calmly stared down his brother, who just ate his dango as though nothing was happening.

As far as I was concerned I was a wall! I wasn't there at all and if they wanted to have there little Uchiha cat fight, I'm not getting involved. In fact I should try to sneak away before I get involved. The last thing I need is to get verbally clawed to death. Sasuke's eyes landed on me and I literally used all my kindergarten training and pretended I was a wall. You know, like when you played hide and seek and you totally thought you were invisible? I did that shit…And just like when I was a kid, it wasn't working now.

"Naruto." OH SHIT! HE SPOTTED ME! The way Sasuke said my name made me want to fall out of my chair and pretend I died. Like just lay there, unmoving. I doubted it would work because Sasuke would probably get up and kick me until I gave in and answered him. But it was worth a shot I guess…So I totally slipped out of my chair and just laid there. I could feel both of their eyes on me. "What is he doing Aniki?" Sasuke asked a little annoyed.

"I believe he's pretending to be dead Otouto, because he thinks you're going to hurt him." Itachi replied calmly. He actually sounded a little amused by this entire situation. At least I'm on Itachi's good side. "Besides, it's an animalistic response you know, so predators will abandon the chase. I mean look at him, he's adorably pathetic."

"Quite pathetic, Aniki."

"But a valiant effort if I do say so myself."

"I think I'm going to kick him…"

Okay so after that I got back up because it was kinda weird having the two of them discussing your actions…And threatening to kick you. Stupid Sasuke. I sat back down in my chair, a bit of a blush staining my cheeks. I can't believe that didn't work. I thought at the very least it would brighten the mood a bit. Sasuke seemed even more aggravated than before while Itachi seemed amused, like this was the most excitement he'd had in years.

"Naruto," Sasuke began, a little more of an edge in his tone. Maybe I should pretend to be dead again. He may learn that I don't want to talk to him right now. Before I could slink out of my chair again Sasuke gave me a bone chilling glare that glued me to my spot. I think I just died on the inside, I've never been so scared. It looked like he was about to leap from the bed, tackle me to the ground, and beat me like I've never been beat before. Like bone snapping, marrow sucked out beating. "When were you going to tell me Dobe that you were going behind my back?"

I was about to open my mouth when Itachi interjected. "Don't be so assuming, Sasuke. I was the one who called him and asked him to keep this secret. You shouldn't be angry with him, if anything you should be angry with me."

"Hush Aniki, I already know that you called him." I blinked a little when Sasuke said that. But then I realized that it was pointless to be surprised. Sasuke had been the one to hand me my phone when Itachi called. He could have easily recognized the number. Damn it! How did I not think about this before? "So? Do you really think I'm that stupid? And you even tried to lie to me, which, by the way, will never work. You have a tell that's very obvious."

No wonder everyone knows when I lie. I need to fucking find out what I do when I lie so I can try to stop it. I swore under my breath and looked Sasuke in the eye. "You do realize the truth would have come out eventually, right? And I probably would have confronted you as soon as I got back."

Sasuke paused for a moment. "I suppose you're right. You can't keep your big mouth shut anyway." I felt generally offended by that. He was such a little bitch when he wanted to be. Little bastard…"Naruto, it would be best if you left now. I have other things to discuss with my brother, that are a bit more personal than I'd like to share."

"If it's about Orochimaru. I'm already fully aware." Itachi said. "Naruto did tell me a bit about your previous experience with him at your new school." Sasuke shook his head a little and handed Itachi the phone from his pocket. I couldn't tell what it said but Itachi's eyes fell to slits. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since I moved in." Sasuke replied. "And he's been smart about it, not leaving messages. Just calls. I was thinking about getting something that recorded the calls…But I have feeling that now that he knows where I am, he'd just try to limit his calls to just randomly showing up where I am. Do you think it's time for me to try and get a restraining order? I mean, I have a witness now."

Itachi glanced over at me and I nodded. Yeah, I witnessed him being creepy. And I will go in a court of law and totally ring that damn snake out! Sasuke didn't need this shit on top of his brother and parents. It was way too emotionally murderous. "They're probably not going to believe a single word out of either or your mouths. Naruto doesn't have the best reputation in the press since he's been slandered so much. And Sasuke, you're still 'emotionally unstable' because of our parents…They'll shut you down before you can even get started."

"But, we have to do something!" I yelled standing up quickly. I actually managed to knock my chair over as I did that. Both of them stared at me and there was a slight quirk to Sasuke's face. I think he was a little appreciative that I was going to try to help him.

"Unfortunately, this may all rest in the hands of Minato." Itachi replied. "There isn't much I can do because of my condition. I'll be in rehabilitation for months after this, I'll be at home but I won't have an income and living off my inheritance until I can take over my father's company."

This is actually stressing me out. Quite a bit. What should I do? What can I do? I really want to help but maybe Itachi's right. This could be completely out of my hands and totally in the hands of my father. He knew what he was doing, right? He's all old and full of wisdom, I've been told anyway. That's how he seems anyway.

"Tell me something…" I began and both of them perked up a bit, looking at me. "My dad does know all the stuff I do, right?"

"Indeed he does." Itachi said. "I've briefed him when Sasuke moved in. That's why he even agreed to gaining some kind of rights and not just giving him a place to stay."

I'm a little pissed off now. I mean how hard was it to tell me some of this stuff? Sure, I kinda get it. Sasuke and I aren't exactly close and it would be rude for me to be in his business. But I guess if Itachi thought it was okay, then my father should have at the very least, considered it. I would have. This directly impacts me as well, it is my life and my house, but nope. No information at all. Maybe I should give him a piece of my mind when he gets home.

"Naruto…Please leave. I still need to speak with Itachi some more and these things actually do no concern you. It's about…Family matters."

I had a feeling I knew what 'family matters' they were. It was probably about the life insurance and how they were going to split it. And all that kind of stuff. So I nodded then and actually complied to Sasuke's wishes this time. I didn't need to get involved in this kind of stuff. Besides I had no idea what it was all going to mean anyway. All that technical stuff made my brain all squishy.

I got up from my spot and headed out the room. Okay so this actually went a way I wanted it to. I got the information I wanted to know. But now that I know it, do I really want to? But isn't that in itself the price of information and knowledge? To learn and hear the things you may not have wanted to the entire time? It made me feel terrible, like I couldn't DO anything to help and I hated this powerlessness. I mean, this kind of stuff doesn't happen to just regular people. But I supposed when you live in that façade and have that perfect appearance of a life, you're bound to get caught up in the realities of being 'the good son'.  
>-<p>

**1. In case you don't get this reference, it's to 'The Allegory of the Cave' by Plato. It's about these prisoners who are locked in a cave and can only see shadows of objects, not real things. Part of it hints at the struggle for information. And it is compared to the cave and the shadows. Because once one is free, they can explore reality and learn or stay in the cave and be ignorant. Of course it's a philosophical piece and can be interpreted in many ways.**

**2. This is all for the sake of drama. Do I really believe that Sasuke could be adopted at the age of eighteen if he was still in school and jobless? No, because here in the states he's considered a legal adult. Am I a lawyer and understand these laws? Hell no, like I said, ALL FOR DA DRAMA.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Awwyeah the Good Son is finally getting an update. I feel like somehow my fic cycle got super out of whack and I ended up skipping one of these updates on accident(or on purpose, you'll never know muahaha!) anyway, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Naruto's PV  
>-<strong>

You know that awkward moment when you're picking your teeth and you haven't eaten spinach in a really long time and it's like there, in your teeth, plotting or some shit? Oh you don't? Maybe that's just me being paranoid again. Or maybe this wasn't actually spinach. Either way it was weird and I didn't appreciate it. But I digress to the matter at hand. A subject Uchiha Sasuke and a subject, me, Uzumaki Naruto and what said handsome devil, me, was going to do when Sasuke got home from his 'private' meeting with his brother? Obviously, I may not make it through the night because, well, Sasuke is going to kill me for lying to him. Not like it was much my choice to lie, but you know how that goes.

But something Sasuke said bothered me. He said he knows when I'm lying. Perhaps that's why I never get away with anything ever. That and because my lies never make any sense, ever, and people see through them right away. That and I've always been told that honesty is everything. I believe it too. I mean, why would you want to live in a world where people constantly lied to you about what they were doing, who they were meeting with, and so and so forth. If people can't accept it then you don't need them. Unless you're doing shady things like selling drugs with your midget assistant Poncho, then I'd understand why you'd need to lie. No one would believe that truth anyway.

Uh, I really didn't want Sasuke to be angry with me for lying, that's all I gotta say really. I mean, if I had told him the truth, Itachi would have been pissed off at me, especially since now I'm in the know. But that really brings to mind as to why Sasuke didn't want me to know? Perhaps a pride issue? I mean that isn't something you could really say on a first date. 'Oh yeah, hey, I was sexually harassed by my principal dude, no biggie.' Not the best conversation piece in my opinion. And maybe it was also to spare my feelings a little bit?

I'm not saying Sasuke has changed at all and become some kind of saint, but I do believe that he was trying to spare me some stress. He must know it's difficult for me to deal with my life and then have his life added right on top of that. And for that sympathy, if it even exists, I thank him.

Or who knows? Maybe it was because Sasuke doesn't want me in his personal life, at all. Just because we had sex doesn't mean at all that he wanted anything more than that with me. We didn't exactly have the best relationship to start out with and Sasuke doesn't seem like the kind of person who would allow himself to be tied down easily. Maybe that was why he never had any long term relationship that I ever heard about. And trust me, I would have. The media coverage on Sasuke's family, even before the crash, was huge. Same with my family. It was a little ridiculous. People want to know our business, pretty or ugly. That's how humans work. If they can get away from anything, even for a moment, they will escape to look into someone else's life.

I was sitting in my room, on my bed, which I think I need to wash so I couldn't get any more shame on me. But at the same time I wanted to rip the sheets from my bed and hide them somewhere safe where I know Sasuke's scent can't be washed from them. This just got really creepy, Naruto style. I rubbed my face and sighed. I already knew what was going on here. And that nagging feeling at the back of my head was telling me to deny it no longer. I was starting to get feelings for Sasuke. It was why I wanted to be in his business. It was why I cared about lying to him. And it was why the sex was so unbelievably perfect. But having all these feelings leave me in wanting, waiting. From what I can tell, Sasuke currently doesn't want anything to do with me. I accept that. I lied to his face and saw his brother and was told all of that personal business. But that could just be a passing moment. Sasuke also could have feelings for me. Hopefully they weren't just the happy feeling one gets when they are getting laid.

But there really wasn't a good way to tell. Sasuke kept his feelings and thoughts under lock and key, obviously in an attempt to keep himself protected from the things that could obviously hurt him. Sasuke was a strange character too. He only let parts of himself slip, almost seemingly in the right moments. Calculated as he was stunning. A lethal combination in my book. Sasuke seemed too good to be true and he might just be. I don't know what secrets actually lurk within the reality Sasuke has created for himself. I heard somewhere that one's perception creates one's own reality. And who knows? Sasuke could be crazy. No one would ever really know because Sasuke never lets anyone in. Sasuke could also be a psychopath, which would be terrifying. He'd probably be like the best serial killer ever. Him being all sexy, everyone else, not suspecting at all. Plus, he's a genius. Yeah, we'd all definitely be screwed if Sasuke was a serial killer.

Anyway…Before I lost myself. Sasuke's perception of what is right and what is not could be vastly skewed. Itachi said that Fugaku never hit them or physically abused them but words leave the deepest scars of all. Which was why Sasuke seemed almost a little relieved to find that his father was dead. In fact, Itachi didn't seem to mind him dead either. They must have had serious beef with Fugaku.

"Naruto!" I turned my head towards the door and shuddered. Sasuke was yelling for me from downstairs. And it was at times like this I was really glad my dad wasn't home. He wouldn't want to hear the verbal lashing I was about to receive. I heard heavy stomps coming up the stairs and I wanted to leap out the window and get to safety. Sasuke was going to murder me. He was going to murder me so bad. He opened my door and waltzed in, a very unreadable expression covering his face. "You lied to me." He said, tone harsh in his throat. I could tell just by that short sentence that he was angry. So unbelievably angry.

"Sasuke, I can explain." I said holding up my hands as a means of defense. Sasuke walked closer, grabbing my wrists and holding them tightly. I actually whimpered from the pain. He was squeezing really hard. I would have bruises if I was anyone else. Injuries tended not to stick with me very long.

"Shut up." Sasuke brought his lips down hard upon my own, making the copper taste of blood spring up in my mouth. Little bastard split my lip! He bit down, none to nicely on my bottom lip and I gasped with pain and an untold amount of pleasure as he slipped his tongue into my mouth. He tasted sweet, which was always weird to me. He hated sweets. But the taste of his mouth, it was intoxicating. It was hot, moist, and sweet. Like a perfectly baked cake. He moaned into my mouth as he let go of my wrists and shoved his hands into my hair, knocking us backwards on my bed. My hands traced down his spine, massaging soft circles into his back and ass. I was already getting hard and we'd only been kissing for a few minutes. Sasuke purred and mewled as my hands traced his body.

He pulled back and started tearing at my clothes, managing to get everything off in seconds flat. He was looking at me, such a lewd expression in his face, lust shining so brightly and passionately in his eyes. My dick couldn't get any harder. He was sitting on my lap; the only thing blocking me from bliss was his flimsy jeans. I grabbed the buttons of his jeans and popped them open, making him growl with satisfaction. I pulled his shirt off too, wanting to see all of that pale, beautiful skin. I wanted to mark up that flesh, cover it in the mars of our lovemaking. Sasuke's hands were only my shoulders now, digging his nails into my skin whenever he felt particularly spiteful or when my free-thinking tongue would reach out to taste Sasuke's moon pale flesh. He was delicious.

"You better fuck me hard for what you did today." Sasuke muttered, bringing his mouth to my shoulder. He bit down playfully before sucking and kissing the mark, making it dark against my skin. I moaned and brought his mouth to mine as I started to rub him through his opened jeans. He wasn't wearing any boxers so I slipped a hand inside, feeling his leaking, and rock solid cock in my hand. He let out a soft sigh as he continued to kiss me, tongue dipping in. I rid him of his jeans by then and was grinding my cock against his hole, which was wet and slick against the head. It felt orgasmic. "Don't just tease me. Fuck me."

I wanted to just dive in, let my cock fill him to the hilt, but my mind was nagging at me again. It was telling me to make it easier on him. And treat his body well. It was true that I should because if I hurt Sasuke, I'd probably be waiting on him hand and foot until he was feeling better. I brought my hands up to his mouth and drummed my fingers against his lips. He started to laugh and pulled back away from me.

"That's right; I didn't prepare myself like last night…" He got off my lap and grabbed his jeans. "Two seconds. I'll be right back. I'm not letting you use something as flimsy as saliva to get me ready to go."

Picky little bastard. My dick was suffering now because of him. Maybe he had been planning all this, get me all hot and heavy and then just leave me to jerk it alone while he smirked to himself about how much of an idiot I was being. I really hoped that wasn't the case. I really wanted him to come back so we could fuck.

What's come over me? It takes a single kiss for Sasuke to completely unhinge me? What the hell happened to my dignity and self-respect? I sighed, placing my face into my hands. This really couldn't get much worse. I think Sasuke already knew or was cluing in on the fact that he could get to me no matter the situation. Even if he hurt me…I'd probably come crawling right back to him. He's making me pathetic.

My door opened abruptly as Sasuke ran through my room, silently shutting the door behind him. His face was pale, and I mean paler than he normally is. He was looking right at me and I felt my heart stutter to life. Something weird just happened. "Your dad is home." He whispered harshly and headed into my bathroom, obviously hiding. And that's when I decided that was the most brilliant plan I had ever seen. I grabbed all of my and Sasuke's discarded clothes, brought them into the bathroom with me, shoved them into my laundry basket, and closed the door behind me. Sasuke was in the shower, water not on. He was standing against the cold tile walls and was shaking his head. "I thought he wasn't coming back tonight. That's what his note said."

I turned back towards the door when I heard a knocking on my bedroom door. I jumped into the shower with Sasuke and blasted the water on. My entire body shook with the cold as we were blasted with it. I did my best to bite back a scream of surprise and slapped my hand over my mouth. Sasuke was the luckier of the both of us, managing to take cover by standing in front of me and having my body block the artic. "Knowing my dad he forgot something and came back." I said moving closer to Sasuke, almost shoving him into the wall behind us. You could see shadows through the shower curtain and if my dad decided to peek his head into the bathroom, he would catch us. I had to make sure Sasuke was well hidden. I didn't really want to explain this situation to anyone.

"Naruto, have you seen my briefcase?" Dad was yelling from in my room, good thing I moved the clothes in here with us. But there was no telling if he would actually open the door. "I forgot it this morning and this was the only opportunity I had to come back and get it."

Sasuke's hands were on my back as I pressed him farther against the wall, fearing my father would come in. They started to slip lower down my wet body and before I really knew what was happening, I felt Sasuke's finger pushing inside of me. Twitching with the pain and excitement of the intrusion, I turned to look at him, mentally trying to transmit to him that he was crazy but the look in his eyes was making them shine devilishly. Oh no, oh no, no, no. Sasuke was not using right now to get back at me for today. I looked towards the door and realized my dad was still talking, probably waiting for some kind of answer to a question I didn't even hear because of the Uchiha naughty fingers.

"Dad." Oh goddammit. My voice was shaking, hard; pleasure and adrenaline making quick work of getting rid of my composure. "I c-can't hear you. Water's running."

Sasuke's mouth was on my shoulder, kissing softly as he made his way to my neck, threatening to tickle the tender spots that resided there. This was getting dangerous. I really did not want my dad to hear me while Sasuke was doing these things to me. As great as this was becoming, and how the muscles in my stomach were tightening, I wanted him to stop. I tried to grab his wrist and pull his fingers out but he bit my shoulder callously, as though he was making a threat. My knees were shaking as Sasuke spread my legs more, switching our positions so that I was slightly bent over, and hands against the wall of the shower. I could feel the smirk. He was extremely pleased with himself.

"BRIEFCASE! YOU SEEN IT?!" My dad yelled as loud as he could and it cut through the fog of my mind. Sasuke was massaging my lower back and I felt his dick pressing hard against me, pushing in slowly. Was it bad that this was really turning me on? Cause it REALLY shouldn't be.

Sasuke suddenly shoved his entire dick inside of me and I had to suppress my cry of pleasure, pain, and shock. Oh god, it was so much bigger feeling than it looked. It was nice too. This was the first time anyone had put it in there and I liked it. Or maybe I just liked it because it was Sasuke. He leaned down and whispered,"Answer your father. Don't be rude."

I nodded. "N-no. I haven't s-seen it-t." Sasuke was slowly moving, pulling in and out shallowly. It was smooth because of the water raining down on us. And it was such a teasingly nice pace. It was like he knew that I had never experienced something like this before. I pushed up from the wall and wrapped my arm around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. He groaned into my mouth at the new deepness. I could feel him so much deeper, so softly pushing up against the walls inside me. He muttered something into my mouth that I couldn't quite make out but I didn't care. I was feeling a strange painfully nice euphoria.

"Where's Sasuke?" I heard my dad call and I looked at Sasuke. Oh he's in here with me, fucking me. Can't tell you that though. "His car is still here."

Sasuke stopped moving for a moment. And I could finally get a good grasp on my words. "I think he went to visit his brother in the hospital. Probably took the bus." He kissed me again, his thrusting far more aggressive this time, like he enjoyed me lying to my dad. Or like he just enjoyed this whole situation in general. Sasuke was in control. He controlled how my voice sounded, how loud it was when he hit a certain spot in my body. His cock was making me shake with pleasure and it was so good. I could see why Sasuke liked taking it, it was the best feeling I'd ever experienced. My hands were bunched in his hair as he breathed heavily against my neck, his hand under my thigh, holding it to get a better position.

His mouth was breathing hotly into my ear, making me quiver. It was so erotic hearing Sasuke's breathe coming in short, contain bursts of pleasure. He wasn't really one for moaning but when he did, it was the most beautiful and breathtaking sound I'd ever heard. It was like hearing the violin played by a master. So amazing that if your ears could, they would orgasm.

I kissed Sasuke again as he continued to fuck me and I was really close now. My dad wasn't speaking anymore if he was outside the door still. And I was tempted to finally let my voice out for Sasuke. I knew he wanted it, that's why he was being so aggressive with me right now. He turned me around and shoved me down so I had to catch myself by grabbing onto the side of the tub, pushing the slick curtain out of my way, and spilling water all over the floor. I'd clean that when Sasuke wasn't so good at making my brain mushy. His hands were tightly gripping my hips and I had to contain the largest scream I'd ever encountered. And I mean the scream you have when you see a spider on your ceiling.

"Sasuke, yes." I was saying it loud enough for Sasuke to hear but quiet enough so if my dad was still, for whatever reason, outside the door, he couldn't hear it. "Harder…" I groaned somewhat loudly and bit my arm to suppress the follow up sound trying to burst from between my lips. God, Sasuke was so good at this. It should be illegal.

"You're tight Dobe, this your first time taking?" He muttered, giving my body almost too much pleasure to handle with a single move of his hips. It wasn't fair how he could do this to me. I was so close to orgasm. So close to losing it. "Answer me." The whisper was harsh and my cock twitched at the demand. I didn't know what I liked it so much. I never liked being controlled or having someone push me around, but I guess Sasuke brought out a different side of me.

"U-uhh! Yes!" My eyes shot open, not even knowing they had closed, when Sasuke started to thrust faster, harder, hitting my prostate so unbelievably dead-on.

"Hn." I could tell, even if he didn't fully voice it, Sasuke was very pleased with this knowledge. This could probably be analyzed as us switching through-out whatever you could call whatever between us was. My breathe hitched when Sasuke's body loomed over me, his hands on top of my own, pinning me down. I was going to cum. I couldn't hold it anymore.

"Sasu-ke." I moaned his name, it being broken up by his thrusting. I think he already knew what I was going to say because he just continued to increase the pace of his hips, not seeming care that he was almost pushing me out of the shower.

"Cum for me." I bit down on my lip as orgasm broke free bringing whiteness to my vision. I could feel Sasuke suddenly still behind me and the shudder inducing feeling of being filled by his seed. I came so much, Sasuke's orgasm inside me making me even more aroused than I thought humanly possible. He pulled out of me and let go, sliding down the back of the shower wall and sitting on the bottom of the tub, smirking, no doubt. I slumped down to my knees, the feeling of Sasuke's love juices dripping out of me. I needed to turn off the water soon, I didn't want the water heater to run out of hot water and spray me with a particularly icy chill while I was in after-glow.

I reached out and shut off the water, feeling way more dirty than you really should after being in the shower. I sat back down and turned around. Sasuke was sitting, legs slightly sprawled, water dripping down his face from his hair. He was looking like the cat that ate the canary. "I forgive you now." He said with a smirk. I was frowning at that comment. Mostly because we could have gotten caught at any moment because of his high libido and my stupid, emotion having brain. Though, I couldn't deny the sex was amazing and thrilling. I mean I'm not going to do this again anytime soon, one because I was feeling unbelievably sore, and two because risky business meant I could be caught doing something my father would never believe me capable. I mean to him I wasn't just sleeping with my sworn enemy, but I was also gay.

Well actually, I'm not sure if I was a hundred percent gay. I could just be Sasuke-sexual. And come on, who isn't that? He is the hottest thing on two legs. Sexier than sex. I managed to stand, wobbling on my feet a little. I stepped out of my shower and grabbed on the towels on the rack and started to dry off.

"I FOUND IT!" I heard my dad yell from somewhere downstairs and I couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"I see where you get your loudness." Sasuke commented. I handed him a towel and rolled by eyes.

"No, Dad's loudness wasn't anything compared to Mom…" I said with a slight smile. "She and I were actually more alike."

Sasuke didn't say anything farther and I think he felt awkward. We never could be considered friends so we shouldn't even really share personal things about ourselves. I mean, I bet if he could have, he wouldn't have told me a single thing about his parents' deaths and his brother's injuries. I felt arms wrap around my waist and a sudden weirdness envelope me. Was he comforting me? Or was he just feeling cuddly? Mom had died when I was young, about eight. I had ten years to teach myself not to dwell upon it. But Sasuke parents had both died just recently, maybe he gaining a certain comfort from knowing we shared a piece of the same pain. But the warmth of his body, it was something I couldn't ignore either way. It just felt nice. I reached up and weaved my fingers into his hair, feeling drops of water hitting my exposed shoulder. They were warm. I wouldn't comment that I knew he was crying…  
>-<p>

The thought of Sasuke actually being vulnerable was off-putting. I mean I knew he hid whatever real emotions he had behind that mask but I never thought he would actually drop it and let me see what lied beneath. Of course, he probably didn't exactly plan on showing that side of himself to me. Who knows what else those tears could have really been from either? Sasuke's life right now, is not something I would wish on anyone. I sighed.

The weekend had come and gone and had mostly consisted of Sasuke avoiding me the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday. Now I was at school, after Sasuke had dropped me off like he seemed want. We went our separate ways and even tried to avoid each other as much as possible in the classes we shared. Sakura seemed to notice something was off but neither of us commented on it. I just blamed it on being tired. She left it alone.

I sat outside of the school building during lunch, just trying to clear my head of Sasuke for even a short time. But I couldn't. For some reason, he was all consuming. I wanted to be with him. Even if we weren't in this sexual relationship. I wanted to be a part of his life. I didn't want to admit to myself why. I knew, deep in the back of my mind why. And I would never say. Because when I made a final confirmation of it, when I could finally deny it no longer, I would have to live with it. And I don't know if I was ready for that yet. That admission could literally change the entire course of my life.

I shifted slightly, thinking that maybe I should head inside soon when I saw a blur of blackness in front of me. I turned my head and saw him, Orochimaru, standing right in front of me. My heart was beating so quickly that I knew if I opened my mouth to say anything, the words would come out stumbled and rushed. I should just leave, but something glued me to the spot. I couldn't make a move to leave even if I gave it the old college try. He loomed over me and I stood up as quickly as I could. I wouldn't let him intimidate me by height. I could feel my face contort into a scowl, glare combo.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I need to have a few words with you." Orochimaru commented, looking insanely pleased for whatever reason. I wanted to wipe the look from his face. He looked slick, like any snake should. Dressed to kill. He beckoned me with his hand I stood firmly. "Oh, come now. Allow me to have a small chat with you and will leave here and never return. I promise."

"Is that a scout's promise? Because I highly doubt you were a scout and that you even know how to keep a promise." I quipped and he seemed EXTREMELY amused by that. I mean like he did an evil chuckle and everything. I turned away from him and started to walk back to the front doors when he reached out and snatched my wrist, pulling me back with a yelp.

"So, there's nothing you want me to tell you? Nothing at all? I really doubt Sasuke or your father has told you everything or anything for that matter… Maybe that's why you went to the hospital to speak with Itachi?" My eyes widened and my stomach dropped into my feet. Was this fucker stalking me too?! I wrenched my wrist from his grip and had to bring everything I had to not punch this sick fuck in the face.

"Tell me why you would think I'd really want to go off with you somewhere when said sick fuck, you, has been stalking me?" He laughed again at my words and grabbed highly up on my arm this time. He jerked me so roughly that I actually lost my footing and stumbled forward, actually smacking into his chest. He put his arms around my back and chuckled.

"My, my, warming up to me already. At the very least, you're much more talkative and approachable than Sasuke." I pushed off his chest and shoved him as hard as I could. He let me go and I almost tumbled backwards because of my own strength. I was panting from a sudden rush of panic and adrenaline pumping like acid in my veins. I needed to get away. I needed to get somewhere safe. I didn't know what this fucker was capable of and I probably just pissed all over his parade. "But just as abrasive. Too bad, you're very cute."

Did this guy seriously just call me cute? EH! That is NOT what I want to hear from a creepy pervert. Like never. That just ruined my entire life.

That was it. I'm fucking walking away and if this dude tries anything else, I'm kicking him in the shin and running away. I doubt care if it sounded lame, or childish. This guy has seriously sapped away all of my manliness. Like I seriously wished my Dad was here right now. Or Sasuke for that matter. I wasn't used to dealing with creepy perverts; I didn't know what to do.

I started to almost sprint when Orochimaru, unwillingly caught my attention. "Did your father tell you he's trying to adopt Sasuke to get the Uchiha's fortune?"

I stopped, a little too curious for my own good. "Excuse me?"

"That's right. Your father is after Sasuke's money. He collected quite the sum when his parents died. He has it right now, locked away in his bank account. The Uchiha fortune was split between Itachi and Sasuke, but Sasuke got the larger portion of the sum since Itachi has been spending all of his on the hospital and the lawsuit between me and your father for custody."

"Shut your lying mouth. My father already HAS money. He doesn't need Sasuke's cash!" I turned again, annoyed that I had stopped in the first place. This asshole was starting to grind my last few nerves. If he didn't stop I was going to smash his face with the school sign.

"Running for Counselor is a very expensive process, Naruto. It takes tens of MILLIONS of dollars just in campaigning, not all of which can be attained with kind donations either. Sasuke, however, could very EASILY cover the cost. Don't you think that this lines up a little too conveniently for your father? He can very easily take money from Sasuke's account as his legal guardian. It is part of the paperwork because the Uchiha family figured Sasuke would be much older when they passed away. You didn't know that, did you?"

I felt sweat drop down my neck. I didn't know that. No one had mentioned that before. Not Sasuke, not Itachi, not my father. Oh God, what if it was true? What if he really was trying to take Sasuke's money? I shook my head. No, Dad may have not been the best father growing up but he would NEVER stoop so low as to take Sasuke's money from him. I turned around and stepped closer to Orochimaru.

"You seem to know a good bit about this. Maybe that's because you're the one after Sasuke's money and that's the real reason you want to adopt him?" I snapped and he just laughed. I was getting real sick of that.

"Oh Naruto, you're adorable. I don't need Sasuke's money. I just want to protect Sasuke from himself and others. And if I was his guardian, I would protect him until the day I died." His words with smooth but had such an underlying lacing of something that made me extremely mistrustful. I didn't care. I didn't want to hear his lies anymore.

"Why are you telling me this? There has to be a reason."

"Naruto, I thought you didn't like Sasuke that much. From your public fights, I assumed you hated him. I could take the brooding little brat off you and your father's hands. I'd take very good care of him." He was smirking now and he brushed a hand against my cheek. I glared at him. "Or perhaps, Sasuke has grown on you? Maybe that's where you got that mark on your neck?" I instantly flushed, slapped my hand on my neck. When I stumbled into Orochimaru's arms, it must have moved my jacket farther down my neck, revealing the results of our sexual encounters. "That doesn't particularly surprise me. Sasuke was known around his old school for being quite the slut. Looking for a good dick is exactly what he does." I felt as though I had swallowed a hot rock, completely sick and heavy. I didn't like where this was going. Not a single bit of it was sitting well with me. I mean I knew Sasuke obviously skanked around, no innocent man could ride a dick like Sasuke could. Or give it so well without being sloppy and needy. "I just hope for your sake that you haven't gotten too attached to Sasuke. He'll crush you."

I couldn't look in Orochimaru's direction because all of that had been in my head once before. Maybe I was kidding myself into believing Sasuke could allow himself to be vulnerable with me. That he wouldn't fully revert into himself after he cried while holding me. Maybe Sasuke was right, maybe I was really stupid for not seeing it. Sasuke was hard and cold like ice. That was the reason I hated him in the first place, right? And he never told me anything, he didn't care. I was just a dick and a hole for him. I was like his personal sex toy. I started to walk away from Orochimaru and he laughed to himself.

"Wait, wait, Naruto. You still haven't answered any of my questions. After I've given you such valuable information, you should return the favor. Don't you think?" He asked coming to stand behind me. I stopped moving and he placed a hand on my shoulder, slowly moving it down to caress my back. I shuddered. I felt strangely devastated, like I really didn't care if Orochimaru made a full move to seduce me. It wouldn't matter. Nothing about my life would change. Maybe if I gave Orochimaru some ammo against my dad, my life would go back to normal. "Tell me, how is my precious Sasuke?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" I turned my head towards Sasuke, who had a certain fire burning in his eyes. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into his chest. "Get. Out. Of. Here. NOW! I will call the police."

"How long have you been lurking around, Sasuke?" Orochimaru asked. "Making sure your toy is safe? He's very cute. Just like his father. You always had the best taste in men."

Sasuke's face curled in a snarl and he pulled me harder into his chest, spinning the two of us around so that he could lead me away from here. Why was Sasuke doing this? Why was he so suddenly protective? He did the same thing with Sai and now Orochimaru too. I didn't understand what was going on. I thought Sasuke didn't care about me. Or maybe it was because he didn't want me to give into Orochimaru's requests and tell him anything. I've always had an honesty complex and weak emotions.

"Leave Naruto out of this. I never involved him in all this bullshit and I intend to keep him clean. Get the fuck out of here. I never want to see your disgusting face again." Sasuke hissed. His fisted his hands in the back of my jacket, bringing me even closer to him, which I didn't think was possible. My head was tucked into the dip of his neck and I was shaking. Being held by Sasuke though, calmed me. I didn't know why. It just felt good to be in his arms.

"Too bad for you Sasuke, you're going to have to see me again. The trial is in a few weeks. And it will be a quick one. I will win your custody. And you will enjoy my company just like I enjoy yours." Orochimaru walked up to us, I couldn't see anything because Sasuke's vice grip holding me in place, but I could hear him. Sasuke head jerked and I could only assume it was because Orochimaru pet his cheek. I could feel his hand in my hair and I shuddered with disgust. "I'm not done with you either Naruto." I did not like the sound of his voice when he did that. And from the grinding coming from Sasuke's bottom jaw, I don't think he did either.  
>-<p>

When I got home, I darted straight into my room. I had ignored Sasuke to the best of my ability throughout the remainder of school and the ride home. But I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. They were piercing into me the entire time, wanting me to say something. I knew it. But I wouldn't open my mouth. My happiness bubble had been burst and all the shattered remains polluted the sunny sky. I didn't know what I was going to do now. Sasuke could drop me at any moment and it would crush me. It would break me. And I think Sasuke knew that too. I'm fragile, as much as I hated to admit it, and I was starting to get feeling for Sasuke. Fuck it, they weren't just feelings. I have feelings about everyone. This feeling was special, it made my heart want to explode, it made my mouth dry, it made my words jumble and my knees weak. I was starting to fall in love with Sasuke.

I heard a knock on my door and grunted. Sasuke was standing in my door way and I patted a spot on my bed for him. He walked in slowly, almost appearing to take my face and what emotions it seemed to display. He sat down next to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Listen, Orochimaru was just trying to stir you up. He wants me very badly, Naruto. And he doesn't care what he tells who, because as long as he gets more support, the closer he is to taking me away. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to leave."

I turned my head towards him. "I thought you didn't want to live here in the first place?"

"It wasn't my first choice." Sasuke said. I shrugged my shoulder away from his hand and he seemed annoyed by that. I turned back away from him, putting a distance between the two of us. "What's wrong with you?"

"Sasuke, if you came in here to make sure the pervert isn't going to get information from me, you don't have to worry. My lips are sealed."

"Really?" Sasuke's eyes shined with skepticism. "Because when he told you about my past it looked like Orochimaru cracked open a book of secrets."

"I wouldn't have told him shit." I said, the pitch of my voice rising with annoyance. I was glaring now too and he didn't have the happiest of faces on either. "Why would I give him anything? He would probably try to molest you every hour of every day if you lived with him."

"Then why didn't you just walk away?"

"BECAUSE!" I was getting very annoyed by this point. I didn't understand why Sasuke was interrogating me like this. It wasn't getting either of us very far. "Every time I tried to walk away, he would grab me. You were probably stalking around in the bushes long enough to see that, right? Oh and by the way, you're no longer a singular target. He wants me too."

"I already knew he would. And I knew he'd try to appeal to your more abrasive, hateful side. The one that dislikes me. The side that would get a real kick out of spiting me." Sasuke muttered. "You got to think, you live with me now and your father is the one trying to adopt me for the time being. If he got you on his side, you'd be the perfect mole."

We were both silent as I shook my head. Sasuke obviously thought less of me than I believed possible. If he really thought that I would sell him out to Orochimaru then he wasn't just stupid, he was paranoid. "Oh come on Sasuke, I would never do that. It doesn't matter how much I hate you."

"You can never be too careful." Sasuke said as he pulled a small baggy from his pocket and placed it on the bed. "I needed insurance against you. So, I made a rape kit."

"Are you blackmailing me?" My vision was starting to go white with anger. He made a RAPE KIT against ME?! My hands were shaking with rage as I picked up the bag, the clear plastic showing a few cotton swabs with a crusted substance on them. They also had a small amount of dried blood from Sasuke on them. And my semen. "Why are you doing this Sasuke?"

He snatched the bag from my hand. "I have a good deal to lose if you hate me Naruto, so, I decided to get something on you so you would never be able to betray me. You can't leave me now, Naruto. You're already too far in the shit to pull yourself out."

"Sasuke, if you show this to anyone, they'll immediately take you out of the house!"

"Yes, but the only way they'd ever know about this is because you spilled the beans to Orochimaru, effectively digging your own grave." Sasuke got off on being in control. He wanted to control everything about his life. That was why he was spiteful towards Itachi for not letting him live in the old house. That's why he was so eager to take the lead, even as a bottom, in our sexual relationship.

Sasuke was pulling at the bottom of his shirt, freeing his chest and smirking down at me. "Fuck me, now. I want to feel that hatred I see in your eyes."

Under the mask of the good son, someone else had to be in control, guiding them onto the correct path. Sasuke's mask was cracked and falling apart. There wasn't anyone to control him anymore. May God have mercy on me.  
>-<p>

**I bet you guys weren't expecting that one! **

**Naruto: WHAT THE HELL!?  
>Me: I didn't do it.<br>Naruto: Oh really? Who else spent all this time writing the chapter?  
>Me: Uhh, aliens?<br>Naruto: -stares-  
>Me: -nervous smile-<br>Naruto: Run.  
>Me: Well okay this was Hitoko-sama!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**I know you guys have been chomping at the bit for this new chapter and I can't say I blame you! So I really hope you guys enjoy this new chappy. Naruto's PV**

**You don't get burned  
>(Cause nothing gets through)<br>It makes it easier  
>(Easier on you)<br>But that much more difficult for me  
>To make you see…<br>Love ain't fair  
>So there you are<br>My love…  
><strong>_**Heart's a Mess, Gotye  
>-<strong>_

You know that awkward moment when your love interest, housemate, apple of your eye utterly betrays you and spits on the very fabric of your soul? You don't? There's probably a reason for that. Or perhaps you don't live with the most heinous bastard that's ever existed in the known universe.

Sasuke was straddled across my waste, trying to kiss me on the lips. After that bombshell, let's just delicately say I'm not in the mood for a little bump and grind. I shoved him out of my lap and stood up just so he couldn't resume his position. He glared down at me as he got to his feet. Ah, I miscalculated the height. How could I forget that Sasuke is a small giant?

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sasuke sounded very annoyed and I was so close to knocking his teeth out it was insane.

"What's wrong with me?" I was exasperated at his question. "Oh I fucking wonder what the hell is wrong with me. Maybe it's because you just falsified a rape kit with my DNA, which in the wrong hands, could put me away for a few good years. And then after such a bombshell was deployed, you want me to fuck you? No, no Sasuke I'm not." I had to turn away from him. I couldn't let him see how I was really feeling. I couldn't let him know that on the inside I was choking up and getting really, just…I don't even know. I was messed up.

"Stop overreacting."

Overreacting? He thinks I'm overreacting to this? WHAT?! HOW?!WHO!? WHY?! Did Sasuke fucking go crazy at some point and then no one told me? Is this a prank? Where are the cameras because this is not funny! Let me off this crazy ride, I'm not having fun anymore.

"Did you fucking get abducted by aliens or something?! Did they take out your brain? Who wouldn't react like this to their housemate telling them they have a rape kit that they made!? I'm reacting like any normal person would to this situation!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Naruto, I think we're a little beyond the point of being just housemates."

Is he ignoring what I'm saying? 'Cause it seems like he's selectively just picking out whatever he wants to hear from what I'm saying and then twisting it into something that he can use to change the subject. Well fine, two can play this game. "Well if I really meant more to you than that, you should know that you can trust me, you fucking bastard."

"Naruto, calm down. I do trust you."

"No, no, you fucking don't because if you did you wouldn't have made the damn kit Sasuke!"

Sasuke smirked as he wrapped his arm around my waist. "I do trust you. You're too much of a Dobe to be nothing but genuine." He kissed me hard on the mouth then and I forced myself to pull back by pushing into his chest. He wasn't too pleased with that. His eyes shone with such anger for a brief second that I didn't even know how to label such fury. "Naruto, you should know by now that I do trust you. You may be an idiot but you have your charm and with that charm come hooks. And your hooks have sunk into me. I am yours to do with whatever you wish."

Okay, now I'm starting to get confused. And I don't think it's because I'm stupid like Sasuke says I am. There's something happening in this moment that's probably going to belong to this moment. Is Sasuke trying to tell me that all this time, I wasn't the only one with feelings? That perhaps, his feelings for me were established before I had figured mine out? I know Sasuke isn't stupid and he's emotionally constipated, but he can't actually think that this is a logical means of keeping me and my attention…

"That being said." Oh, here we go. "I don't trust the people around you. Naruto, you're easily influenced by people whether or not you notice it. Orochimaru would crack your head open like a nut for all the juicy bits you have inside. And with this little bit of insurance, you'll always stay true to me, the one who holds your heart, the man who captures your attention…" My eyes widened. I know Sasuke isn't stupid. I know he isn't but how could he notice my ritualistic stalking when I was being so subtle?! Probably because I'm as subtle as an elephant. "What? Surprised I noticed? Naruto, you're about as subtle as an elephant." Ah, I see that I'm not the only one who noticed. "But no matter, our interest in each other is mutual. We have feelings, Dobe, and they aren't something that we can wish away. And to make sure you always keep the correct ones for me, I need to make sure no one can influence your opinion of me."

It's like he's not even factoring in how what is happening between just the two of us will affect my opinion of him! Because it's getting a little bad. I'm getting more and more pissed off and scared by Sasuke's logic. I mean, how could I be such a genuine person, or so he says, if I'm easily influenced by the people around me? That would make me like a fake or something because I can't decide things on my own. Or maybe I'm not sure what he means in the first place because I literally just cannot follow his flow of logic. 'Oh yeah let's keep a rape kit in case Naruto gets cheeky. Sounds good.' Sasuke logic…

"Naruto, are you listening to me?"

"If you mean the listening in which I can hear you, then yes, but if you mean the listening by which I can understand what you're saying, then no."

"I swear you are the biggest Dobe in the known universe."

"Fucking rude ass Teme!"

"Just shut up and let's make love." Sasuke approached me and the only thing I could do was get a little nauseous and shove him back.

And in that moment, I learned why people said the Uchihas were the scariest family to have ever lived. Holy shit. Sasuke just glared at me, just a little glare, and I felt my blood turn to ice. He was so mad, it was crazy. I guess them remaining stoic for so long makes their actual expression even more terrifying.

"Alright, fine. I get it. I get it. I'll give you some time, but do know Naruto I GET what I WANT. And if I so desire you, you will come crawling." He quickly embraced me, and I could feel the hotness of his breath against my neck. I wondered if he had been contemplating biting me as a sign of ownership and then just let me go. The door shut behind him softly.

I sank to my knees and just looked at the door for a moment before I realized just how physically sick I actually was. I made it to the bathroom with seconds to spare and emptied my stomach. Tears were burning in my eyes as I openly whined into the porcelain. How could I have been so stupid to think that Sasuke's true nature would have never surfaced? How could I not think Sasuke would never hurt me? I deluded myself into thinking things between Sasuke and I, even at a sexual level, would remain relatively normal. But how wrong I was.

Under the mask of the good son, everyone wants a piece of you. The myriad of subtleties goes unnoticed as the performance is in full swing. When you wear that mask, you are perfection incarnate and as a million hands reach out to 'embrace' what they really want is to destroy. The mask cracks and shatters. And what lies beneath has to rebuild that mask and make sure this time that it cannot be shattered, things have to be in favor of saving the mask. So Sasuke…

Now it seems so obvious. I'm a celebrity too and yet I've never thought about what that really meant until today. I've never kept up that meaningless façade, I've never crafted a shatter-proof mask. So I'm vulnerable to the people around me…Especially the ones I care about.  
>-<p>

The next few days were really awkward. And I don't mean the awkward that happens when your parents find out you had sex and they just look at you like, 'so uhh, hey, how's the sex goin'?' It's more like the awkward where you show up to Christmas drunk off your ass, make your mother cry, knock over the tree, destroy all the presents, start a huge food fight, and then tell your kid sibling Santa isn't real. That kind of awkward. Because you know there's someone mad at you for something you caused, and in my case, the Christmas tree was Sasuke. Since I had rebuked his advances, he'd been glaring me down and trying to take advantage of me whenever he can. I actually had to start locking my door at night so he wouldn't forcefully ride my dick.

I mean, I don't know what I expected out of all this. I'm slowly starting to understand why Sasuke is so mad…Actually, fuck that, I'm lying, and I don't get it at all. Sasuke's fucking crazy and this is all really stupid and I shouldn't be scared in my own house but I am.

The only sanctuary seemed to be school, but uh, that didn't last too long. Every class I had with Sasuke, he'd sit right next to me and try to fondle me under the desk where no one was looking. And I don't know how it is possible, but Sasuke has the most persuasive hands I've ever felt. It really wasn't fair.

But I think Sasuke took the cake of 'getting what he wanted'.

So it was literature period with good ol' Kakashi, who would be late to his own funeral if he could, and Sasuke's hand was seated ever so subtly on top of thigh. The weird part was as Sasuke was gently rubbing his hand up and down, he was just focused on a conversation with Sakura, and usually he eye fucks me while he molests me. And that really bothered me, he wasn't as aggressive as he usually was and I shivered thinking about Sasuke putting his hands all over me, feeling me fully, fucking me…

That's when I knew I had to blow that pop stand and I stood as fast as I could, knocking my chair out from under me. I was so hard and I knew Sasuke knew it. I could see the satisfaction and lust in his eyes. Sai and Sakura both looked concerned but I just laughed it off and said I forgot something in my locker. They knew my locker was clear across campus and I knew that would by me some time to get rid of my problem.

Except…

I never catch a break, I swear. Sasuke, the cheeky sex god he is, managed to slip out of class as well. He must have stalked me silently in the halls for at least a good minute before making his catch. He grabbed me right before I made it to the men's room and I let out a cry of defeat because I knew that grip all too well. He was flush against my back, breathing hotly into my ear, I could feel his arousal brushing against my ass and he nuzzled me possessively. I couldn't help it, I moaned, especially when those naughty and nimble fingers seemed to drum their way down the front of my pants.

"Sasuke, please." I wanted him to stop. We were exposed; someone could easily walk by and catch us in the act. And the last thing we needed was indecent exposure on our records…which probably would have been followed by us getting expelled. I tried to pull free but he bit my neck in such a possessive, sexy way that I lost all the strength to fight.

"Shh, I want to have some fun." Sasuke words burned against my skin as the hot whispers of his breath caressed my neck. He used his height and weight to force me down on my knees, his larger body looming behind me as his free hand gripped onto my struggling wrists. He continued to mark and kiss my neck while ever-so-gently stroking me. Sasuke hand was barely moving in my jeans but the sheer pleasure of the moment was messing with my head. I was foggy. I barely registered he was kissing me on the mouth until the moment before he pulled away, leaving me breathy and in wanting. "Do you want me?"

His question, I don't know, I guess I wasn't ready for it so in my haze, I hesitated the answer as I looked at his slightly glassy, lust-soaked eyes. "Yes..."

He seemed satisfied with the admittance of defeat from me and let me up from our crouched position. I heard something faint in the distance but I think imagined it because Sasuke didn't seem to notice it at all and he was more sensitive to everything around him. He didn't stop tugging me out of the front of the school and to his car so I guess everything was just my paranoid mind playing tricks.

I fucked Sasuke in the back of his car, which surprised me because he seemed to be pissy about the time I ate a donut in there. But I guess the need for touch outweighed his need to be clean and annoying. But then again it really was his fault that we ended up in his car, him bouncing on my lap. God it was good too, I didn't know how badly my body was being repressed until I came.

And now as I look back at that moment, I realized that Sasuke is slowly poisoning me. I need to get away from him. I mean he's blackmailing me and I'm still indulging him with my flesh. Okay, yes, this is somewhat my fault for not stopping him or rejecting him again, but I couldn't help it! You have Uchiha Sasuke bounce on your dick and tell me how easy it is to say 'no'!

We managed to slip back into class before Kakashi got back too, which I was really surprised about because we were gone at least half an hour. And what was even worse was that I wasn't even satisfied with just that. I wanted more. I hadn't indulged myself in Sasuke's flesh for a few days and with the constant temptation around, it was difficult to ignore.

And what's even worse is that I already know I'm setting myself up for failure by, okay I know this is hard for me to admit, but in all reality I'm passively doing nothing about Sasuke. But, it's not my fault; it's just that no one gave me the tools to deal with this! I really don't know what else to do with what I'm given. I don't know how to strategize with the cards Sasuke's holding. It's like he has the makings of a full house when I just have mismatching cards, on-suit. I just have to wait for what the river could give me or fold. But folding in this case means giving into Sasuke fully and letting him take from me whatever he wants. And as great as that sounds, Sasuke won't learn anything from that victory. He needs to know that scaring people into staying with him is not how love works, neither is it how he's going to keep me once the evidence is gone and the trial is over.

"Hey dick-less, what are you doing after school?"

I turned towards Sai and he was giving me that shit-eating grin that he gives to everyone. Though, sometimes, I felt like Sai didn't know what to do in most social situations so he just picked something and went with it as long as it worked. He was home-schooled up until freshman year of high school because his parent's home-business took off and became a national corporation.

"I was planning on pretending to do homework and then take a nap until food happened and then take a break and go back to sleep." I didn't need to bullshit Sai; he knew I was the king of slacking off and not doing anything if I didn't want to. And even though he had the social ability of a rock, we still sometimes had fun slacking off together.

"Wanna come over and finish that project for anatomy tonight? I know we'll never finish it if you don't."

There was something odd about this. Usually Sai doesn't 'ask' me to come over, for any reason. Usually it begins with we are partnered together and or we decide to be partners and he forces me over to his house so I'll actually do work on the project. Which, to be fair, saves my ass more than I like to admit, but so not my style. Just like him asking is SO not his style, he's an ass. And I know I've made a lot of mental notes about how much I hate Sai, but sometimes, he's a pretty funny guy. Plus, Sai slings his money like it's nothing so he and I can buy up the best time possible. Though this sudden change in attitude could be because, ever since Sasuke and I fucked in his car yesterday, Sasuke has been stuck to me like glue. Or maybe Sai is trying to gauge how friendly Sasuke and I have become so he knows where the new boundaries have been drawn for him, since well, Sai and I don't really get along in public. Not to mention, he and Sasuke don't get along very well. At all. Which is still the understatement of the year. I'm somewhat surprised he still sits with us during literature…Or that Kakashi allows them to sit together. I don't know it's weird.

"Sure." I felt Sasuke's hand tense up on my thigh and he pulled back as I gave him a slightly sideways glance. He pretended like he was paying attention and that whatever Kakashi was writing on the board was interesting.

"Great, since wicked lovely over there has been giving you a ride every day, just meet me at my car and I'll get us there." Sai said as he cracked open his book. Oh if only Sai knew how right he was about that wicked lovely statement.

Sakura was leaning in towards Sasuke and he instantly relaxed his hand and put it right back in my lap like I hadn't just pissed him off. Oh what, did he want Sakura to see this so she'd freak out and embarrass me? Or did he just not care about Sai and me hanging out? I don't know. Sasuke, right now, is a very confusing nut to crack. His shell just seems to regenerate as soon as I make any progress in chipping it.

And I already know that just because he showed me that kit and said he trusted me that nothing was really going to change between us. He just wanted to scare me into submission so I'd be far more compliant with his sexual demands or just so I'd sit back and enjoy this crazy ride.

"So where did you two go? I know it doesn't take that long to get to Naruto's locker." I looked over at Sasuke, confused and Sakura then gained a confused look on her face.

Sasuke's face remained calm. "I never said anything about helping the idiot to his locker. I simply decided to get a cup of coffee while Kakashi decided to take most of the period to be late."

"Yeah, I didn't know Sasuke left until I got back." I said. My voice sounded surprisingly calm but Sakura looked at my face, her eyes squinting at me as she got closer. Sai was shaking his head and I felt a flush creep up my cheeks.

"Oh, so I can't get a secret donut without everyone making a big deal?!"

Kakashi, eagle eye of the school, nailed me in the head with a piece of chalk, causing me to whip around. He was shaking his finger at me. "Yes, it is a big deal." Oh no, Kakashi please don't expel me or hit me or whatever it is you do. "I mean, you didn't get ME a donut."

I stared at him for a whole minute without saying anything, Sasuke chuckling beside me. "Kakashi, there was a high chance of seeing you at the coffee shop, don't play with me."

Sasuke's thumb pressed against the incredibly sensitive skin next to my balls and I had to hold back my breath from hitching.

Oh boy was I in trouble…  
>-<p>

So me going to Sai's and working on a project went how you would expect it to go. I didn't do anything but whine about everything Sai was doing and he kept calling my dick small. Typical Sai-Naruto interaction.

He was chuckling to himself after a particularly manliness-shattering small dick joke and sat down at his desk, clutching a pencil in his hand. He swiveled to look at me, that stupid plastic smile present and everything.

"So, Naruto, how are things going with Sasuke?"

I shrugged. Not like I can tell Sai that Sasuke was black-mailing me into riding my dick whenever it suited him. I mean I have to keep a profession level to this friendship. "Fine, I guess. It's kinda like living with a cat. Sometimes he's nice, other times he's trying to claw off my face."

"You know you're welcome to come over whenever you want. I know you and Sasuke don't have the best track record, and a woman of your caliber shouldn't be around such violence."

"I'll keep that in mind if I want my dick size constantly criticized." I said as I stood up, stretching. I could feel his eyes on me as my shirt rode up ever so much. I felt oddly self-conscious as I turned to look at him. His face had changed, more pensive and frustrated than what was usually there. "Besides, Sasuke and I haven't physically fought; he is my guest after all. My dad would probably kick him out and that doesn't look good for anyone."

I heard a snap(1) behind me and turned just in time to see Sai throw down the pencil he had been holding. Before I could even say anything, or do anything, I was encased in Sai's arms. It felt weird to be held by him. I had just gotten used to Sasuke's large body holding onto me. But this feeling, the feel of Sai's chest pressing into mine, it was foreign. I pushed back and tried to laugh it off but he grabbed onto my wrist, holding me firmly in place.

"You're so stubborn." Sai said, his brow furrowed as he tried to embrace me again and I shook out of his hold, feeling eerily emasculated by this situation. I backed into his bedroom door and fumbled with the knob, only to be captured by his large body pressing into mine. "You can't escape me. We still have an _anatomy_ project to do…"

I felt his lips atop my own and I shook at the feeling. Sasuke's lips felt so much different, they were soft and plush. Sure Sai's mouth was soft, but I don't know, there was something different about the feeling…It wasn't as sweet, it wasn't as succulent. I didn't want his mouth. I wanted Sasuke's…I pushed him back and all that succeeded in doing was trapping my arm between him and me. He was stronger than I remembered. He grabbed my other wrist and pinned it above my head.

"Dude, what are you doing?!" The only half-intelligent thing I could utter. He smiled down at me and this wasn't his regular smile, it was something sinister, lust coated.

"I've been holding back for a while. I waited for you to mature to a level where I knew you could handle my feelings for you. But I fear I may be too late." Sai's mouth hovered just above my pulse and I could feel his hot breath against my skin. He licked my neck and bit me none too gently, making me whine with the sudden pain and shockingly enough, pleasure. Against my will, I arched softly into his chest. He smirked at me and recaptured my lips. I felt the fight in me dying as he pried my mouth open with his tongue.

Sasuke had sexually frustrated me to the point where my body was hungry enough to take Sai in his place. Damn it body, stop reacting! Sasuke is going to kill me four times worse than he was going to if this goes any further.

Sai parted my legs with his knee, brushing the growing bulge in my pants in the process. My breath shook against his lips and he started to flick his tongue inside my mouth, coaxing me. I was getting really turned on by this. Sai's forcefulness reminded me of Sasuke. But there were subtleties between the two of them that kept me hanging on to reality. My brain knew, but my body didn't, all it knew was that it was hungry for satisfaction one of them could give me, Sai just happened to be the closest.

He gripped my thigh, pulling my leg out. It was instinct, I couldn't help myself, I wrapped my around his waist, grinding into him. He moaned into my moan, giving me enough time to pull my head back. I moaned despite the anxiety rising in my chest. I knew this was wrong, the wrong person, the wrong place, but my body felt like it was starving for attention, craving to be held and touched like it would be by Sasuke. Sasuke stirred me up and now I'm paying the price.

Sai's breath got more ragged as he started to grind into me. I could feel his erection through our jeans and I shivered against him. I was losing myself so slowly to this but it needed to stop. I needed to stop myself.

I let out a soft whimper of surprise when he let go of my pinned wrist to start wrestling with the top button of my jeans. Now, now was my chance to end this! I shoved Sai as hard as I could, which caused him to stumble backwards. My face was hot with embarrassment and arousal. He seemed to straighten himself out and huffed, looking at me with such a hurt expression.

"So, the Uchiha has tasted you fully, hasn't he?" Sai smiled sadly and my eyes widen. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"Sai…I."

"Doesn't matter." He couldn't even look away from me when the tears filled his eyes. "You love him, don't you? Don't worry I won't tell anyone." Sai's smile was scaring me. It was so sincere. "I know how important love is to a woman."

At first I had been angry that Sai was forcing himself on me, and then I was scared because I was giving in, but now, I feel like someone's stomped on my heart. I, Uzumaki Naruto, am a heartbreaker…  
>-<p>

When I walked in my door, I half expected Sasuke to be waiting in the kitchen with the whole BDMS get-up. But he wasn't there and I was half-relieved. I knew Sasuke was angry with me for going to Sai's place but he didn't know what happened there, and as far as I was concerned, he never would. I walked through the kitchen, seeing a box of pizza on the stove and a hand-scrawled note from my old man. Not now dad, my head is a storm of emotions and I don't need you adding into the mix.

I went to my room and as soon as I opened the door, I wanted to shut it. Sasuke was sitting on my bed, flipping through one of his books. So, I guess I was half-right about something. He had been waiting for me to come back. I just didn't get the right location or situation. He looked up at me and closed his book.

"Come here..."

Well, as long as I feel guilty, might as well be cooperative. I sat down on the bed next to him and he turned my head so I was looking him in the eye. I looked deeply into them and I noticed for the first time that the darkness didn't abruptly stop, that there was a soft gray ring around his iris that bled into the white. I cupped his cheek and he leaned into my hand. "Sasuke…"

He shushed me. "I already know."

"Why didn't you stop me? Or warn me maybe?" Sasuke stroked the more than apparent bite mark on my neck; it still throbbed painfully when he drummed his fingers against it. Possessiveness flared in his eyes.

"You needed to see how you affect the people around you and how you're utterly oblivious to the things that are flaunting themselves in your face." His expression was softer than I thought possible. It was strange. Sasuke didn't seem sympathetic to people he didn't like but it was like he was giving it just to Sai…

"How did you know that Sai had feelings for me?"

"It was in his eyes." Sasuke muttered. He pulled me in for a kiss and that's when I melted. That was the kiss I had been looking for; the soft kiss that was tinged with sweetness, the tongue that was strong and always managed to whip my body into a frenzy. I was hard with just a single kiss and Sasuke rubbed me through my jeans. I knew we were moving into that dangerous zone of where eroticism met passive danger, but I couldn't help how he made my body change.

As I stripped Sasuke down, I realized something. Sasuke knew what the look of longing appeared to be, which means he must have seen it before, and a lot, if he could identify it in other people. But the question to me, remained unclear…Who did he see in longing? Was it me? His lost puppy? Or, perhaps, did he finally see it in himself?

I guess when the blinders of sex are on; I'll never be able to see any of the truth that lies beneath the mask… Just like Sasuke wants. There won't be the nagging questions, the doubt. Because it's obvious Sasuke wants me to trust him, but how can I? How can I trust someone who hides and threatens, and controls when things get tough? Hasn't he heard that when things get tough, the tough get going? But, I suppose, that's not what Sasuke wants. He wants to be in the plane of existence where everything falls perfectly in place and everyone dances in rhythm with the decisions Sasuke is making for us...

I'm drowning inside of his will; his love. I want his love more than anything but giving into him means giving up everything I've ever stood for. I'm not some puppet to be manipulated. I don't wear the mask anymore...But for Sasuke...Will I be willing to? Would I be willing to give up Sasuke completely to keep my sense of self intact?

I don't know.  
>-<p>

**So we're finally progressing a little bit and in the next few chapters, we're going to see what's going to happen when the trial finally starts to pick up and how the choices Naruto's made so far are going to settle. Will they end in his favor? Or will they come back to slap in the balls?**

****1. Okay so originally right there I accidentally wrote 'snack' instead of 'snap' and when I proof-read the draft, all I saw in my head was Naruto turning around to Sai shaking a bag of pretzels and I couldn't stop laughing.****

**Naruto: What bad decisions have I made?  
>Me: Ones that are so subtle and strange that no one will actually know what they are until I throw them out in the next couple chapters.<br>Naruto: I don't like the sound of that.  
>Me: Oh you're gunna get MAAAADDDD.<br>Naruto: Great…This was Hitoko-sama…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright, don't kill me. I know it's been a minute since I updated and I know you guys are probably not so happy about that. I'm sorry D: I try to update and then college is like LOLZ exams, and then friends are like LOLZ social life, and then I'm like LOLZ laziness. SO I'ma try even harder to update more often 'cause I wanna actually get INTO the main plot of this. SO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY I GIVE YOU, a piece of pie! …Naruto's pie…His pie made of suffering. Yeah, you get it. Naruto's PV**

**Shot gun, aimed at my heart, you got one  
>Tear me apart and then some<br>How do we call this love  
>I try to run away but your eyes<br>Tell me to stay oh why  
>Why do we call this love…<br>Maybe some part of you just hates me  
>You pick me up and play me<br>How do we call this love?  
>One time tell me you need me tonight<br>To make it easy, you lie  
>And say it's all for love<br>**_**Me and My broken Heart, **_**Rixton(Skipped dat chorus doe)(1)**

**ALSO THIS SONG IS LIKE BASICALLY NARUTO AND SASUKE'S RELATIONSHIP, AMIRITE?!**

You know that awkward moment when you get served, but not in the street dancing sense? You don't know what served means? I got motherfucking subpoena while I was walking up to the front of the school! Like why?! Why do I, Uzumaki Naruto, being of slightly below average intellect and incredible sexiness, have to appear in a court of law?

I know this is probably some kind of ploy by Itachi to get me even farther in the know, or so I can be a character witness. However, I know exactly what the other side will argue. Any, and probably all, of my testimony will be thrown out. I don't know what exactly this is going to gain for us…

WAIT!

What if this isn't for our side and is for Orochimaru's side?! It isn't news so much anymore that Sasuke and I haven't exactly gotten along on our father's campaign trail. Paparazzi hounded both of us. They saw things. It wasn't until Sasuke was shipped out to that fancy private school that things cooled down.

And then as soon as he came back, cameras all in my face. All over it. Everyone wanted to know what I thought about Sasuke coming back and what happened to his family. Of course, I held my tongue which the media twisted around on me for being callus towards Sasuke, until dearest of all dads, allowed Sasuke a nice place to live.

I don't know what exactly Orochimaru is planning for his case but I'm ready to testify against him and for Sasuke's character. I know what I saw, what I heard, what he tried to manipulate me with. Plus, I have a witness that should technically cover some of what happened. I know Tsunade got involved in the first Orochimaru altercation, the problem will be the second. Only Sasuke and I know about that. And since Sasuke and I probably are going to be called unreliable witnesses, it probably won't even matter if I speak about that incident or not. Eh, might as well try. Uzumaki Naruto is not known for giving up so easily.

Maybe I should go visit Itachi and talk to him about it? Dad isn't around enough for him and I to have a formal pow-wow about this case and he might not even know I got a summons, so Itachi may actually be the better option.

However, the last time I saw Itachi, Sasuke nearly exploded. And in all fairness, technically it was super sneaky on the down low on both of our parts. Which then leads to the whole 'it is more than obvious Sasuke doesn't want me to get TOO involved in his affairs', and I know I've said it a million times but I get that, I don't like people shoving their nose in my business either. But I literally have to testify now, something I never thought I would have to do.

Don't get me wrong, I was willing to join into the case and become a character witness before Sasuke went psycho-bonkers crazy over me, but with this official document shoved into my backpack, it just feels more real. It IS real now. There's a chance I could _lose_ Sasuke. Though, he may technically never be mine to lose anyway with the way things are going.

I sighed audibly and looked out the window. Why do things always have to be so complicated?

It seems to me that lately things have just taken a turn for the worst. I don't know why. Is it Sasuke? Ever since I met him, my life has changed. But change is good, right? Change helps us move forward. But then again, everything in my life seems so negative. I can't even love Sasuke properly without becoming obsessed with him. And what's even worse is that Sasuke can't even love me properly without trying to control me.

So, where does that leave me? With a fractured relationship, a heart full of hope, and a head spilling with questions.

I need to get out of here. School is not where I should be right now. But Sasuke will know by next period that I'm gone, however, it'll give me enough time to get where I'm going while he's delayed. I hope he isn't smart enough to figure out where I'm going right away. The hospital is literally fifteen minutes away…By car.

Shit, how could I forget that I haven't been taking my car to school these past few weeks? How am I supposed to get there now? I suppose I could walk, it's only three miles. But Sasuke would be able to find me by then. Class is only about fifty minutes and he might leave before that. Though, he could think I just went home.

I'm going to have to risk it. I wish there was a way I could weasel Sasuke's keys off him but if I did that, he'd probably more pissed that I took his car than me seeing his brother without him knowing. And I may be a very daring, risky person, but I like living and I know Sasuke would kill me. Love or no, you don't mess with a man's car. Or use it for nefarious purposes.

The bell rang and I ducked out of class, heading towards the entrance of the school. I'm really hoping I don't run into anyone I'm friends with in next period. It'll be even more difficult to make my escape.

And of course, just as I have that thought, I run into Sai. Yes, yes, my luck is literally that which inspires books.

I tried to maneuver around him but he clasped his hand to my arm, pulling me into him as he moved us out of the hallway. And I can see why, Sasuke was walking from his class across the hall and heading down. I nearly got caught. Sai was watching over my head, being able to see clearly since he's a few good inches taller. God damn giant. "Where are you going, Naruto?" I felt the heat sink into my face instantly. Am I really that easy to read?

"What makes you say I'm leaving?" I asked, trying to make sure I looked him in the eye while I said it. But when I glanced into those eyes, I see what happened the other night and feel even more embarrassed. Fucking Christ. I started to shake gently as he pulled me along, taking me right out the door with him.

"Where are you going? I'll take you. You've been riding around with Sasuke every morning so you don't have your car. And obviously you two are not leaving together, so you're trying to sneak out of school and walk to wherever, right?" I blinked at Sai's words; he's so perceptive. How is everyone around me Sherlock? And I'm just random bystander number three? This is supposed to be my life!

I pulled my arm free from him and I stood up a little straighter. "Sai, I really appreciate the gesture but this isn't something you should get yourself involved in."

Sai kept walking, leading me to his car, unlocking it as I approached. I was annoyed by his cool attitude but at the same time, grateful. He was obviously trying to repair our relationship after what happened a few nights ago but still, I kind of feel dirty doing this. Even more so than before. If Sasuke finds out that not only did I see his brother without him and had Sai take me there, after what I said to him, oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy. He'll probably just eat me.

I supposed that since I'm here, I might as well take advantage of Sai's kindness. While it lasts. Unfortunately, even I'm not stupid enough to believe Sai will be kind to me forever.

"So, are you going to tell me about what's going on?" I sucked my lip into my mouth and looked over at his profile as I sank into the passenger seat. All I can think of is how he held himself against my body, how his tongue flicked against mine, heat burst into my cheeks and he looked at me, smirking a little. "What? Can't stop thinking about how I rocked your world? Did that go over well with your mistress?"

"My mistress? When did I get married and start having an affair? Did someone auction off my hand in marriage while I was sleeping?" I replied and he laughed softly.

"I was going to call him the other woman but I realized that would make me a woman also and I'm not okay with assuming your role." Sai started his car and pulled out of the parking lot. The bell for next period was about to ring so we had plenty of time to leave.

"Even when you're being nice, you're an asshole." I sighed. "The only thing he wasn't fine with was the very obvious bite mark on my neck…" I made eye contact with Sai and he shrugged.

"I'm surprised. I half-expected him to hit me with his car the next morning." Sai said as he came to the first red light outside of the parking lot. "Though, he did glare me down quite evilly when I passed him in the halls, every day since then. I have the feeling he doesn't quite care for me." Sai nodded and I just wanted to tell him no one really did but that would be mean so I just turned to look out the window. "I thought he might turn into a demon and break open my skull." Sai looked over at me. "Where are we going anyway?"

"To the hospital." I guess I couldn't exactly keep it a secret from him since he was taking me there. "I got a summons this morning to appear in court for Sasuke's case."

Sai glanced over at me and the look on his face was of disbelief. "Who would want you to be on their case? Knowing you, you're going to fuck up everything."

I shrugged. "That's what I'm going to find out. Itachi is still in the hospital for a couple more days. The trial doesn't officially begin until next Saturday but still, I'm really confused. I mean, doesn't it seem like I got this subpoena really late?"

It was Sai's turn to shrug. "I guess, maybe there were building up evidence and decided you'd be a good character witness. I mean, you knew Sasuke before he went to that private school and now you know him intimately well; you are living together after all. He made a proper woman out of you."

I looked at the side of Sai's head. He was smiling his normal Sai smile and it reminded me of how much I just wanted to punch him in the temple. I scoffed, sitting back in my seat. Even after everything that had happened, it looked like he had forgiven me. And for that, I would be eternally grateful. I didn't want to think that I, Uzumaki Naruto, who had never been in this position before, was a heart-breaker. The scourge of men.

Sai laughed softly to himself and I glanced over at him. "Oh, I was just relieved, you know? I thought you'd hate me after what I did but I'm glad you don't." Sai was smiling at me and this time, it actually was real. It wasn't the Sai smile that makes him seem like he isn't a real person. "And I'm glad Sasuke actually managed to get over this one. I thought for sure he'd have a massive freak out, I mean he decked me in the face that last time I touched you, and so I'm glad he finally got a grip over his jealousy."

"Wait, what?"

He raised his eyebrow, giving me a puzzled look. "Wow, you really are as stupid as everyone says." I glared at the side of his head as he turned at an intersection. "Yeah, don't you remember the first day Sasuke came to school? He punched me during Kakashi's class when I put my arm around your shoulder. If you think it was because of the nickname situation, you'd be wrong. I mean, I'm good at pushing buttons, we all know that. But if Sasuke had been really mad about the nickname the entire time, he would have acted on it earlier. There was no point in waiting for a different opportunity. That's how I figured out he was interested in you. He's protective of you. Incredibly so."

Oh my God.

OH MY GOD.

How did I NOT see this before?

How could I not feel Sasuke's engrossing protectiveness of me? I mean it reeked out of his entire body. He wanted to keep me safe, by his side and any kind of competition, it made him reel back and strike like a cobra.

Maybe I really am as stupid as everyone says…Wait, but that means everything Sasuke does that seems brash and irrational is because he's trying to protect me? He's trying to protect me from other people, but also is acting like a complete idiot while doing…Obviously not caring about who he hurts as long as it comes down to one goal.

But that means…

THAT RAPE KIT!

He…

No, there's no possible way he did it just for that.

But then again, he's a control freak who has issues with being replaced. Is he so afraid of losing me to Sai or Orochimaru or anyone else that he'd rather have me so scared to leave him that he'd jeopardize the way I see him just to keep me?

Why would he think that was an okay move? I mean couldn't he see that I was practically stalking him? I mean I have the subtlety of an elephant for crying out loud. I don't know how he could have thought I would ever do anything that would hurt him like that.

Or maybe it's because he's so afraid of me getting so close to him and him not being able to live up to the standards I've built up of him that he's overreacting just to make sure I won't get bored with him. Which is even worse than the other reasoning, but what can you do? People are crazy for a reason.

What could have happened to Sasuke that would have made him like this? Was his father really THAT bad? I guess I should have a serious talk with Itachi about it because, well, let's be real about this; he knows Sasuke probably better than anyone else. And maybe this is repeated pattern so Sasuke will eventually get over himself and realize threats are NOT the way to keep someone interested.

I wish I had someone to talk to about all this bullshit. It would be nice to tell Sai but how much could I really trust him with before it becomes too much for even him? I can tell he already doesn't like Sasuke but if I tell him what's been going on these last few weeks, any good opinions of Sasuke will be removed.

What people don't realize is that when you're close to someone, we kind of blind ourselves. We want to love them so much; we ignore things. And it may be true that I'm ignoring things for the sake of Sasuke's feelings and my own safety but what can I do? I'm in love with Sasuke. I love him. And that's really scary because, let's face it, he's unstable, in an outside turmoil, and his life is NOT in his control. The only things he can keep constant are his brother and me. I already know if I was in his shoes, I'd lash out.

But then again there really isn't an excuse for this kind of behavior. Sasuke should realize by now that lashing out when things don't go his way is absolutely childish. His parents must have spoiled him rotten so that no matter what happened after he would always have venom coated fangs. A defense tactic so painful that no one wanted to encounter it.

I'm going to have to tell Itachi everything. I'm afraid to. I don't want Sasuke to know that Itachi knows about his wicked behavior but someone besides me has to know. And maybe if I start telling Itachi about what's happening, then he'll be able to give me hints about how to deal with it. Maybe for once someone will actually tell me how to cope when life kicks me in the balls and tells me to keep walking that everlasting mile.

"We're here." Sai said as he pulled into an empty parking space and looked over at me.

I take a soft breath and open the passenger door, pulling my backpack up on my shoulder. "You don't have to wait for me."

"I will though, just text me when you're done and I'll meet you by the entrance."

I closed the door and Sai just took off his seat belt, starting to fiddle with his phone as I headed into the hospital. It was still early so I knew visiting hours were on the table but I couldn't help but feel anxious. I was coming to see Itachi without anyone knowing, for the most part. Sai took me to the hospital, he didn't know what for. But he'll probably be able to piece things together.

I sighed, signing in at the front desk before heading up to Itachi's room. I had only been here once before but I knew where to go pretty well, like I had walked down these halls fifty times before. I swallowed as I knocked gently on the door to his room. I heard a faint groan of acknowledgement.

"Not who I was expecting…" Itachi muttered as he looked over at me from his bed. He was looking significantly better than he had been before. He had color back in his face. He was sitting up properly. His cast wasn't hanging above his bed anymore. He looked like he was just having a routine check-up. "Hello, Naruto."

"Itachi, we need to speak."

The raven nodded, raising his eyebrows and setting his book on the small table next to him. "I knew as soon as I saw you that this wouldn't just be a friendly visit, Naruto. Come in and have a seat."

I pulled up the chair from across the room and placed it next to his bed. I sighed loudly and that seemed to peak his interest. "Itachi…Sasuke is crazy."

Itachi looked at me and we just stared at each other for a moment and he just started chuckling to himself, which in turn caused him to laugh even harder as the words seemingly sunk in more and more. Of course I didn't appreciate him laughing so hard cause he was literally laughing at the entire source of my torment. When he finally calmed down, he smiled at me. "Oh yeah, I know. I have known him his entire life."

"Don't laugh, his craziness is causing me a mess of problems!"

"Oh, like what? Is he being weird about tomatoes? Because you should just ignore that; that's just a weird quirk he's acquired." Itachi said and I just stared at him for a second.

"He's weird about tomatoes?"

Itachi pursed his lips together. "Yeah, just ignore what I said earlier. You're going to have to see that for yourself."

"Are you still on drugs?"

"Oh yeah, I'm pretty high right now." Itachi said with a shrug. "I mean, not like wisdom teeth videos online high, but still pretty good. So, what did Sasuke do to you? He did something that wouldn't be appropriate to show on television, didn't he?"

The urge to get up and throw myself off a bridge was sometimes so all consuming. "Is it really that obvious Sasuke and I have been having sex?"

Itachi made a face. "Sasuke's held interest in you for a while, I mean you two did wander into that janitor closet during the Halloween party." I stared at Itachi, mouth slightly open and he raised an eyebrow at me. "What? You didn't think I knew about that? My entire family knew about that." Itachi was looking me straight in the eye, nodding his head, just deadpanning this information. "Wait, did Sasuke not tell you? Wow, he must really like you then."

"Your parents knew too? That's so horrible. Why does this stuff happen to me?" I fucking knew it. There was no way no one saw us mouth-fucking in that closet. How could I be so stupid and think we totally got away with it. AHHH. I could cry.

Itachi's eyebrows knitted together and he looked straight at me. "No way, he didn't tell you, did he?" I raised an eyebrow at him so he would continue but Itachi started to laugh, looking up at the ceiling, resting his good arm behind his head. "He REALLY likes you; that's so adorable. I'm glad."

"I'm not glad." I replied, blinking slowly at Itachi.

"Oh?"

"Did you not hearing me before? Your brother, Uchiha Sasuke, is fucking nuts. He's crazy. And he's controlling and possessive, and a fucking mystery eighty percent of the time. I literally have to take days of my time thinking about the things he does and like TRY to rationalize them." I said making wild hand gestures just to demonstrate my frustration to Itachi. "I mean, I get that you lived with him and this is probably all a record skipping for you but seriously Itachi, Sasuke is super fuckin' nuts about me."

Itachi sat forward a little, a very contemplative tone to his face as he brushed a stray strand of hair from his eyes. "I don't see how this is a problem."

Do I tell him? Do I cross the border of trust between Sasuke and myself just so I can communicate my problems with Itachi? Does Itachi really need to know about what's going on? Or should I just leave him in the dark? I don't know. Itachi has a right to know; it is his little brother, after all. But what if me saying everything that's wrong with Sasuke and I's relationship shatters Sasuke's image for him?

I really wish there was a feature in life where we could demo an option before we actually did it ourselves, just so we could see what we were getting ourselves into. Just so I could tell whether or not my words would run scars deep into Itachi's heart that would never heal. Just so I could save the mask Itachi and Sasuke upheld for each other…

But then again…

This needed to stop.

Sasuke needed to know I was not one to sit idly by and be threatened. He needed to know that the way to love someone isn't through control, it isn't through manipulation, it isn't through fear. It is about slow and cautious steps in understanding and loving your partner, being their support system and shouldering their burdens while they helped you shoulder yours. Sasuke deserved to see that trust in me would get him far more than threats ever would. He, with all of his flaws and logical inconsistencies, was worth my love and attention.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair as I looked up at Itachi, fingers still locked up in the slight tangles. "Itachi, I'm worried that Sasuke is going too far with me. He made a rape kit."

Itachi's face remained stoic, cold, unchanging as he laid back against his nest of pillows at the headboard. He was shaking his head after a moment and just looked away from me, obviously unable to think of the correct way to address my concerns. This is exactly what I was afraid of. I've shattered it. I've tapped against the cracks, causing them to weaken, and slowly fall to pieces.

After a moment of prolonged silence passed between us, Itachi let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes. "What a fucking idiotic child."

YES. YES, FINALLY. SOMEONE SAID IT!

I'd like to thank everyone for allowing this moment to transpire between Itachi and myself because I'm not the only one who thinks that Sasuke is being an absolute idiot. I literally could not have been any happier about his reaction. I could cry. FINALLY. Just FINALLY, someone is willing to stand up and say, 'wow he's being pretty stupid about all this.'

"Naruto, listen. I don't know how to say this so I'll just come out and say it." I blinked at Itachi's lead up and I felt a sinking feeling in my gut. "Sasuke is in love with you."

I stared at Itachi for about a minute, letting silence fill up the space between us. And then he just ruins it with that comment. I thought Itachi was supposed to be the genius of our generation and that was the best thing he could come up with. That was his brilliant answer to my incredible difficult problem? SASUKE WAS IN LOVE WITH ME? No shit! I really couldn't tell!

"Itachi, I'm very aware Sasuke is in love with me! That's why all this bullshit is happening!"

"Oh so he DID tell you about why he was sent to boarding school…Interesting." I froze, my facing gaining a seriousness as I glanced up at Itachi. He was staring back at me and he huffed loudly, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, never mind. He didn't tell you…"

He got sent to boarding school…Because of me…But…

"But he told me one of the reasons he was mad at you was because he wanted to go to the boarding school you went to but your dad said no…"

Itachi sighed and shook his head. "There's some truth in there. Remember when I said my family knew about your escapade in the closet? Well, my father didn't want Sasuke's sexuality to ruin his image so he told Sasuke that he either had to give you up completely or my father was going send Sasuke away. At first, I thought Sasuke was just being your average defiant teenager but I guess he really did feel quite strongly for you. Father did not want that at all. So, when Sasuke said he'd cooperate if he got to pick the school, father used that opportunity to trick Sasuke into leaving for a …How do I put this delicately? The school is, well, a straight-school. As in, they take in gay people and spit out straight ones. Father was so obsessed with Sasuke not being gay that he literally sent him away, to the place where he met Orochimaru. And I didn't say a word about it because I didn't know what I could possibly say to make Sasuke feel better, or to stop father. So I told Sasuke to wait until I could do something and he stayed there; he stayed there for nearly a whole year and then BAM, we had the accident. I couldn't do anything I promised him, which is why he is actually angry with me. It's not the house, it's not any of the shit he says. It's always something else. Don't let Sasuke fool you, Naruto. Sasuke knows the best way to lie is to stick close to the truth. And, let me guess, he probably told you I got him his car because he was mad at me? Not a full truth either, I did it because he could leave the school's campus with it."

Itachi rubbed his eye a little and contemplated his words for a moment. I was so stunned. I just couldn't say anything. "He is not something wholly beautiful. Truth be told, Father has ruined him. He has a shit personality and does NOT know how to properly cope with anything."

I didn't know what to say. I was the source of a year of Sasuke's suffering and I mean he may have slept around at that school but I was the one who got him locked up in that eternal hellhole where he suffered. Where he was tortured by Orochimaru's sexual advances and made to feel like he was imperfect by his own father. How could even be real life?

"Naruto, don't think that this is your fault. Because, trust me, it's not. Sasuke and I have had very strict rules to live by and now that Father's gone, Sasuke's scared. There's no one to control him. He doesn't know how to cope with his emotional instabilities properly. Listen, I know it's going to be hard but I need you to love Sasuke, flaws and all."

"How long did you know I was in love with him?"

Itachi scoffed. "Way before either of you figured out everything. You two are actually quite stupid, no offense."

"I get called a 'Dobe' on a daily basis, I'm not offended." I replied softly and I looked away from Itachi, feeling the slight heat of my face. "Itachi, thank you for actually telling me what's going on. I appreciate that at least you will be nothing but honest with me."

"It would be kind of difficult for you to help Sasuke if you didn't know exactly what you were getting yourself into." That was such an Uchiha response. Greater good of knowledge bullshit. But when I looked over at Itachi, he was smiling. "Sasuke may be a little shit, but I know who I can trust with what information."

I was glad. Itachi trusted me with sensitive information. I was so glad about that. I couldn't help but smile at him and he was reached out, grabbing my hand in his. It was weird. I barely knew Itachi yet I felt like we had known each other for years. I felt connected to him. I felt…Right with him. He wasn't exactly like Sasuke but the sum of Sasuke's best parts. I could see where the good in Sasuke came from.

But as fine and touching this moment was…

It wasn't even the reason I was here. I looked away from Itachi and down towards my backpack. As much as I hated to think it, I needed to squeeze MORE information out of Itachi. He was the only one who would be honest with me about what was going on in the court case. We were supposed to officially go to court on Saturday. No more of that proceedings bullshit, testimony, witnesses, and final judgment was going to be passed on this case once and for all.

I reached down into my backpack and pulled out the manila folder. "This came for me today." Itachi reached out and took the envelope from my hand, pulling out the documents and carefully looking them over. His brows knitted together and I could feel the sweat building up on the back of my neck. There was a dark aura around Itachi and he seemed to be becoming less and less confused and more and more angry as his eyes tore through the words.

"Naruto, do you realize our side of lawyers didn't send this subpoena?"

I lowered my head. Of course not. Of course this was sent by Orochimaru's people. Fuck. What did they want from me? Why did they want me to testify for their side? I shook my head. "Orochimaru showed up at school a couple weeks ago. He specifically came to see me, not Sasuke. He was trying to turn me against him by telling me all of the things Sasuke did while he was away…"

Itachi pursed his lips together. "Did Sasuke pull the rape test after that?" I nodded my head and Itachi scoffed. "What desperate times." He turned towards me. "Sasuke won't do anything, so I wouldn't worry. Just, for the next few days be careful around him. We're so close to the trial and it's going to be a hell of a time."

"Itachi, why is Orochimaru targeting me?" I felt stupid after asking because there's no way there could be a straightforward answer. Orochimaru was a creepy, selfish man. He could have dozens of reasons.

"Because Naruto, you're the only reason Sasuke would want to stay here."

I got up from the chair, I didn't know what else to say and Itachi just looked drained even though our conversation was short and left me filling more and more empty. But at the same time, I felt so fulfilled knowing just how much Sasuke's love for me really spanned. Maybe I was blind by bias, but now I know I need to be strong for Sasuke because his love for me had been strong.  
>-<p>

The next few days were a hazy blur of school, silence, and Sasuke. All of my life had literally consisted of nothing more because I just didn't know what I should do. I had to attend the trial because of the damn court order and that means I'd be there, sitting, listening, watching. I'd be soaking up everything and then eventually Orochimaru would send me up there to do my song and dance.

What kind of questions would they ask me? Why does it have to be me? What choices did I make that made this moment possible to pass?

My hands were shaking as I attempted to knot the tie of my suit by myself. My father said he'd meet Sasuke and me at the trial so we were alone in the house so there weren't idea of dad helping steel my nerves. Sasuke was standing behind me, watching me. His hands passed by my face, his fingertips brushing against my cheeks as he reached down, hands clasping onto mine.

Sasuke guided me, making my hands go through the correct motions, steadying them. I looked at him in the mirror and his eyes glue to mine. "I'm nervous."

It was weird hearing those words come from Sasuke's lips instead of mine. He was calm and collected on the outside; a complete marble statue. I was a shaking mess. I turned, planting my lips firmly against his and I felt my body relax. I refused to lose Sasuke. Not today, not ever. We were in this together now, whether or not he liked me knowing his affairs. I'm too deep to go back.

"Let's go. Itachi should be arriving around the same time as your father."

I nodded and let Sasuke guide me out of the house. I was going to play a part in all this and I didn't know whether or not it would be a good thing. I was scared something I'd say would seal Sasuke's fate and he'd be ripped away from me. Another year there, another year with Orochimaru…

That was what was on the line this time. It wasn't just Sasuke's life anymore. We were connected. I placed my hand on his shoulder as he drove, his back straightening with the contact. He briefly looked over at me but I kept my eyes forward.

In less than ten minutes we were walking straight into the lion's den. There was going to be paparazzi, news stations, friends, and family; everyone everywhere. All because Sasuke and I had a weight to our names. All because Sasuke is tragedy. And his song will never stop being played. They want us who wear masks to come out and dance; move and flail about until our masks fly off and crack to pieces. They want to stare our ugliness in the face, poke and prod it until we can take it no more.

I want it all to be over.

Sasuke took his hand off the steering wheel when we came to a red light and placed it flat on top of mine. My heart picked up and I leaned over, stealing yet another kiss from him. We wouldn't be able to do this at the trial so I needed to get all the physical comfort I could from him right now. I wanted to take him away to a private place, hold him desperately close, and just feel the warmth of his body against mine.

"I love you, Sasuke."

His eyes widened and a smile crept up onto his features. "Are you trying to make me happy?"

I smiled back at him. "I don't have to try, it's all skill."

Sasuke turned his head to look at me, the smile was gone from his lips but shone brilliantly in his eyes. "You know just what to say to ruin the moment."

…

Why did I love him again?

I leaned back in the seat and stared out the window. I didn't kill nothing! Sasuke ruined that moment! I hate him. I don't love him at all!

We came to another red light and Sasuke leaned over, noticing my pouting and gave me a kiss this time. His lips were soft against mine and it was nice to have Sasuke like this. Not the crazy, sex-fiend, who was sent to this Earth to vex me and nothing more. He was a real gauntlet. "Yeah, me too. I love you…" I blushed, the heat worked its way up into my face and Sasuke softly chuckled. "It's adorable that you can say embarrassing things like that you love me but as soon as I say it back to you, you get embarrassed."

"I'm not used to you being so honest with me…"

Sasuke nodded. "When the trial is over…Will you make love to me?"

I looked out the windshield and nodded. We were pulling into the courthouse now and anything romantic needed to be said now before we stepped out of the car and had to act like there was between us. "I'll make love to you until your body can't take it any longer."

Sasuke smirked. "Oh my, what a bold claim. I'll hold you to it."

We both exited Sasuke car and it was all a blur of camera flashes, microphones shoved into our faces, and people trying to grab onto us to get our attention. Of course, Sasuke and I were seasoned pros at this bullshit by now so we shoved our way through without a single problem. When we got to the top of stairs, Itachi and my father were both waiting up there for us. Itachi reached out and Sasuke practically fell into his arms. He had to avoid Itachi's spatially limited restriction to his wheelchair, but it seemed simple enough for Sasuke, whose body was practically built from grace.

Dad put his hand on my shoulder and he smiled down at me. "Don't worry, Naruto. Everything will be fine." That was just like dad, always thinking positive to make everyone relax.

The camera crews and paparazzi turned away from us, buzzing once again with life as I saw Orochimaru's awkwardly tall body emerge from a limo. Of course now would be the time for him to flash a little money. There was a mousy looking assistant next to him, pushing up his glasses and handing Orochimaru something which made him smirk. I could feel Sasuke's eyes burning holes into Orochimaru as he approached us, coming up to the stairs. The four of us stood there, silent, as he stopped at the first stairs, looking at each of us individually.

"Well then, it's very nice to see you all." His eyes were smirking as they landed on me.

And that's when I noticed that Orochimaru's shadow seemed to be moving away from him and wasn't actually a shadow at all. It was a man, about my age, with dark cropped hair, and a plastic smile. My eyes widened and my body started to shake when I realized that Orochimaru's shadow had been following me around this whole time…

I couldn't help it. I couldn't hold it in. "SAI?!"  
>-<p>

_**1. ON A SUPER REAL LEVEL: I changed the lyrics for the opening at least six times. There are lyrics from like three different songs I wanted to use from Marina and the Diamonds, but I figured this song was far more accurate for Sasuke and Naruto's relationship in this story.**_

**Wow I finally got to the subplot, Jesus. It only took me about eight million years. But I really hope you guys don't hate me for the next chapters to come because it gets SO much worse than this. Like you think Sai betraying them is bad, you don't even know how bad it gets. It's gunna be great. **

**Naruto: All you do is make my life hard.  
>Me: Yeah and all Sasuke does is make your dick hard so I mean it has to even out somewhere right?<br>Naruto:…  
>Me: …Yep.<br>Naruto: I dislike you immensely right now.  
>Me: That's not very nice. You don't even like Sai that much, why are you mad?<br>Naruto: Because I bet you're gunna make it a situation I could have avoided.  
>Me: I guess we'll see, won't we? THIS WAS HITOKO-SAMA.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**OKAY: so yet another little disclaimer. I'm going to say that I have no intimate, deep knowledge of the law and the inner-workings of the legal system. The legal system in America is sometimes really stupid and really annoys the shit out of me so I try to just have a causal-observer knowledge of it. All of the information in this story BASED upon laws in the United States and does not necessarily reflect any actual cases nor normal court proceedings nor the laws themselves. I have never had to put myself in a legal situation such as this and this story generally ignores sections within the laws that would nullify such a case going to court. That being said, I will try my hardest as to clear up some of the blaring plot holes that come with the glazing over of court issues. **

**It isn't that hard boy, to like you or love you  
>I'd follow you down, down, down<br>You're unbelievable  
>If you're going crazy just grab me and take me<br>I'd follow you down, down, down, anywhere, anywhere  
>One for the money, and two for the show<br>I love you honey, I'm ready, I'm ready to go  
>How did you get that way? I don't know.<br>You're screwed up and brilliant,  
>Look like a million dollar man<br>So why is my heart broke?  
>"Million Dollar Man", Lana Del Rey <strong>

You know that awkward moment when the guy you didn't sleep with randomly appear at a very important court case to ruin your life and everything you've worked for up until that point? You don't? Well there's probably a reason for that, or your life just doesn't suck as much as mine does.

I couldn't BELIEVE it. He was walking up the stairs behind Orochimaru. How did they even know each other? What are supposed to do now? What am I going to do now? Sai knew shit. He knew shit about Sasuke. He knew shit about ME! How did I not see this coming? How did I not realize me not sleeping with him would have fucked this up so much?

I twitched as he passed me, but then he suddenly stopped. Sasuke brushed against my side, his fingers pressing into my shirt as I glanced away from the crowd to look at his face. He was smiling at me, leaning in as he stopped. His hand was on my shoulder and I could see the anger slowly building up in Sasuke's charcoal eyes.

"Good luck in there, Naruto." His breath was cool against my ear because my skin was red hot with anger. There was such in an impulse in my blood to grab him by the shirt collar and throw him down the stairs. But, it probably wouldn't be the best to be detained in front of the courthouse. I watched his shadow passing through mine, splitting off and becoming his own once again. I thought if he would pick a side, at least it'd be mine…

"Naruto," Sasuke's chin brushed the back of my neck, practically smashing into me with closeness, "conference, now."

"You two can't have a conference without us. This is a team effort." Itachi pointed out. He obviously was trying to direct the comment at Sasuke but it still discouraged me. There was a lot more going on than I really thought was possible.

"We should conference with Jiraiya." My dad said quietly, putting his hand on my shoulder, turning me away from Sasuke and Itachi, ushering me into the courthouse. "He should be still loitering around."

Claustrophobia struck me hard in the gut. There were people everywhere, crowding in together and shoving everyone else out of the way. Everyone wanted a piece of his story. Everyone wanted to talk about the celebrity lawsuit. Everyone wanted to get their own opinion out on what was happening.

Dad pushed right through them. His hand on my shoulder hadn't slackened as he guided me through the room of people. It was great; we didn't have to worry about Sasuke and Itachi. Since the older Uchiha was restricted to a wheelchair, people practically parted like the red sea for him. And if he couldn't get through, I didn't doubt that Sasuke would just push through the waves of people.

Dad spotted Jiraiya before I even noticed we cleared the crowd. I needed to focus. I would have to testify at some point and I would have to pay attention to everything going on. But of course, I'd be led by questions and I'd have to actually think about what questions I could possibly get, not to mention what answers I should give.

I was actually surprised to see Jiraiya; I had thought Itachi would hire Uchiha lawyers for the case, not let Dad pick our family lawyer. Maybe his medical expensive were more outrageous than I thought? I supposed, I would find out with a little prodding.

It was weird seeing him a suit. Usually whenever I saw him, it was fully casual wear, beer in hand. But he looked so professional and clean-cut. It was like seeing the opposite side of a coin for the first time. You always knew it existed but when you finally saw it, it was just as shocking. He even had his hair in a semblance of order! ALL OF THE GRAY HAIR LOOKED NEAT AND ORDERLY. HOW DID HE EVEN DO THAT!?

Jiraiya smiled, wrapped his arms around my neck and giving me a tight squeeze. It was nice to see him. He was my god-father and sometimes a better father than my own, but he was even MORE busy. He was constantly in court, yet could always make time for the holidays. He released me with a laugh. "Glad to see you, kid. Wish it was better circumstances."

"I'm pretty sure that we all think that." Minato said, patting my back a little more roughly than I thought he would; I jerked slightly. Looking back at him, he smiled nervously at me as an apology.

Itachi was wheeled up by Sasuke, leaning over the back of his brother's chair, nodding his greeting to Jiraiya. "But I thought Itachi was hiring his family lawyers?" I was so confused. Everything kept changing on me and I had no idea how I was ever going to take it all into account.

"I was, but Minato suggested Jiraiya. I very much trust your father's judgment so I agreed he may be the better option."

"Plus, I'm doing this pro-bono. Let's just say I feel a bit more personally attached to this particular case." Jiraiya was smiling, ruffling my hair a little as he did so.

"Well now that's the gang all here, Naruto, Sasuke, tell us what you were trying to secretly conference away from us." Minato said, clapping his hands together, softly.

"Dad, I don't know if this is the best place for us to talk. There are people everywhere." I muttered, folding my arms across my chest.

"Naruto's right." Sasuke replied.

"What, are you two a hive-mind now?"

Sasuke and I shared a look.

"No, they're right. If they know something we better say something in secret." Jiraiya assured. "Come on, they've given me a small conference room; we can talk now."

The press seemed to be more caught up in the lead up, talking about the judges and lawyers and not really noticing us slipping past them around the back where their numbers were thinned. No one tried to stop us as we ninja-stealthed into a small room towards the back of the courthouse.

Jiraiya sighed. "Alright, so, if you and Sasuke know something, you two BETTER spill it before we go out there. We can't have secrets. If they know something I don't, I won't be able to run a good defense for you."

Sasuke and I looked at each other, again. I knew it was drawing suspicion to us but I guessed if we weren't supposed to keep secrets then, we needed to come clean…About everything. Sasuke nodded and I bit the inside of my lip.

"Okay…" I said, beginning slowly. "I don't really know how to say it so I'll just say it. Sasuke and I are…" I pointed to myself and then him, undulating between us awkwardly. "We're, like, together?"

Well, so much for just coming out and saying it…

Dad and Itachi looked as indifferent as they did before. I knew that Itachi knew but could he have told my Dad what was going on between Sasuke and me? Or was it more like Dad didn't care? He could have easily figured it out himself; he isn't a completely moron. Like me, apparently.

"Naruto, good for you." Jiraiya gave me a thumbs up. "Sasuke, however, you could do better." I let out a slight exclamation of exasperation. How could he compliment Sasuke and then fucking burn my ass? I thought we were family!

"I wouldn't settle for anything but the best." Sasuke retorted, giving me a sideways smirk as he did so.

"So are you two just like…" Dad looked at me kind of strangely, making a heart shape with his hands. "Or are you two just…" What really made this moment probably eight million times worse was that he simulated sex with the most horribly awkward of hand gestures.

"DAD." I felt heat in my face.

"What? There's no secrets, no shame here."

"So, getting the obvious out of the way…" Itachi interjected, directing the conversation away from the incredibly awkward turn it had taken. He looked at me, using his non-broken arm to make a sweeping gesture. "What else? Who was that guy who leaned in all creepily and whispered whatever into your ear? Why did you two need to conference after that?"

Sasuke looked at me and then I realized everyone was looking at me. Thanks Sasuke for not saying anything and leaving all the awkwardness to me, I love you too…Dick.

Dad knew Sai, albeit briefly. He probably couldn't exactly tease out an answer from this web of confusing bullshit so I guess it was up to Sasuke and me to give answers now. I glanced back at him and sighed a little.

"Okay so, that guy, his name is Sai. We go to school with him." I began, looking around the room at everyone. I was rubbing at one of my eyes, trying to overcome the weirdness of having everyone looking at me. "Dad, you may or may not remember him. Anyway, so the other night he propositioned me to…Well…Sleep with him, I guess, is the best way I can put it."

Everyone in the room, aside from Sasuke and myself, looked utterly at a loss for words. Itachi was resting his head against three of his fingers, looking absolutely exasperated. Dad and Jiraiya were exchanging hushed words between the two of them. I felt heat sinking in my face and almost couldn't bear to be in the same room as any of them.

"You should have slept with Sai." Sasuke blurted out suddenly.

I looked over at Sasuke, clicking my tongue against the roof of my mouth. I took my hands from around my chest and started lightly clapping to bring Sasuke's attention squarely to me.

"Brilliant fucking deduction, Sherlock," I replied, putting a finger to my lip and settling the other hand on my waist. "One problem though…" Sasuke's didn't look amused as I continued. "A certain person in this room would have definitely had the best reaction to THAT." Because Sasuke is the most FUCKING reasonable person I've ever met. If I had slept with Sai, Sasuke wouldn't have just locked me up for all eternity, he would have definitely killed Sai in some absolutely terrible way. "You punched him in the face because he put his arm around my shoulder! Or did you forget about that?"

"I didn't pu-"

"Oh bullshit, Sasuke, come on. Don't try to Uchiha mind trick me." I shook my hands in the air with exasperation. "If you don't think I know you, I do know some things. You're possessive; you would have probably hit Sai with your car if I even entertained the idea of sleeping with him."

Sasuke huffed and Itachi nodded in agreement with me. "As much as I agree with you, Naruto, I also agree with Sasuke." The older raven said with a shrug.

"Excuse me?"

"Naruto, think about this for a second." Itachi said, holding up his hand as if to slow down my thoughts. And it was true; my mind was racing around eight million parts a second. I couldn't keep myself calm. Everything was making my head buzz with connections and disconnections and I could barely focus myself. I was also getting kinda pissed off, but that was something I couldn't directly control. "From what you've said, it isn't just Sasuke who is a possessive little brat. Sai is also. He wants to put a wedge between you. If you had slept with Sai, he wouldn't be here right now. Sai is going to be an opportunistic little fucker which, in turn, is going to cause us more problems. For instance, don't be surprised if they have more evidence and testimony to harp on during the case."

Jiraiya was nodding his head. "Earlier in the week they added more testimony, gave subpoenas to two more people, you included in that Naruto, and also submitted a piece of video evidence. I've seen it all though, so it wasn't anything I didn't know about."

I couldn't believe this. All of this bullshit because I wouldn't let Sai put his dick in me? How the fuck was I supposed to know that not letting some dude fuck me would cause all of this escalating bullshit? I ran my hands through my hair, feeling as though I could pull it out from the root. This was my fault. Sweat was beading on my brow and I could feel it wanting to fall as I got more and more worked up. I caused us problems. I always cause problems. Why does this shit always happen to me? Why? What kind of karma did I put out into the world to receive this chain of events?

Sasuke walked up to me, grabbing my hand and bringing it to his mouth. He kissed it, focusing me back onto him. I watched him, holding onto my hand, warming it with his lips, his breath. His charcoal eyes were shining, looking at me. He touched my cheek, brushing it with cool, dry fingertips. I knew my hands were clammy but he didn't seem to care or notice because he made no move to acknowledge the sensation. "Naruto, look at me." He grabbed my chin with his pointer and thumb, holding my head in place. I wanted to look away from him but I couldn't; he'd entrapped me in that gaze again. "It's okay. It's all going to be okay. None of this is your fault. We just need to calm down." It wasn't until then that I noticed Sasuke's hand was shaking; the quivering was small but I could feel it between my fingers. "This is not the time to get overly worked up. They want us to sweat, put the pressure down on us because you and I are the weakest links right now. If they can chip away at our resolve, they'll win."

Sasuke's lips moved with such a seductive, calming to them. He had obviously been some kind of demon in a past life. I felt immediately soothed by his words. "We need to be strong, Naruto. I need you; don't leave me. Don't run away from this. We need to be more than just in sync, we need to be infallible. I love you; don't forget that. Every time you get nervous, every time the pressure is put on you for answers, just remember what I said. None of what they say matters, whatever traps they put up, whatever lies they try to sink into you…I still love you."

"I love you, too. You're right…You're right." I felt my pulse slow as Sasuke leaned in, kissing me gently on the lips. I didn't fight. I needed to be soothed. Even though I should have been the one to do the soothing. Sasuke needed me to be strong for him. His life was the one hanging in the balance. If he lost this case, he would spend the rest of the year with Orochimaru. We wouldn't be able to appeal the case again. We would have to WAIT for Itachi to get better. Who knows what kind of shit would happen to Sasuke then? What kind of life would he have if he was taken from us now?

God, this was all so stupid.

Court was finally in session and I had to sit in the pews outside of where Sasuke, Itachi, and Jiraiya were sitting. I was with my Dad and he had his hand secured over my own. It was oddly reassuring. I was actually really glad he was here with me. And as much as it must have been weird for him to hear and see; I was glad he didn't try to outright persecute me for my relationship with Sasuke. Which still needed a metric fuck ton of work but, for right now, I wouldn't bring up my list of complaints just yet.

The judge took his seat and the lawyers both began with their opening statements. I couldn't focus on their words. Sai was sitting behind Orochimaru's pews. Obviously he was the other person who got a subpoena. I wonder exactly what they would make him say up there. What exactly could he say? I knew Sasuke had punched him but if I went on that stand I could easily attest that it was provoked. Because, whether or not Sasuke did it for me, there was also the element that Sasuke also did it because of how offensive Sai was.

He glanced back at me, smiling. I felt acid in my stomach bubbling. Though, I was glad Sasuke didn't see Sai looking at me, I still felt a sickness pooling inside. I thought friends were supposed to care about friends. But from the way Sai was acting, he obviously never really cared about me. He never cared about our friendship. Even if he was 'trying to protect' me from Sasuke; he wouldn't have done this. How would this in any way protect me from Sasuke? It wouldn't.

All Sai is doing building up a wall between him and me. And it's fine, I understand that there is a few unresolved issues he might have with Sasuke and he might have with myself, but this is really uncalled for. Even if Sasuke is forced to go back and live with Orochimaru; Sai will never have me.

"Naruto, I know this isn't the time or place for me to bring this up…" Dad whispered to me, cutting off my view of Sai by leaning in front of me. "But, just listen to me for a few minutes, okay?"

I nodded, slightly glad my Dad was blocking my view of the eyes that always seemed to linger. I could feel Sai eyes penetrating my Dad's back. I didn't shiver, swallowing the sensation down. "Sure…"

"When we get home, I want to discuss this more thoroughly, but for now I just want to say that it really upsets me you decided you couldn't tell me about you and Sasuke before today." Dad's words made my insides feel like shards of ice were pressing through the lining of my gut.

I had been getting caught up in Sasuke's world a lot recently. I haven't been noticing as much as I should have; I've realized that with Sai. But I've also been neglecting other very important relationships too. With Sasuke around, I get fearful that not only will people find out the truth, but that they will judge us for is. And with how the world works, I guess I should be called lucky that Sasuke and I are even acknowledged by my father at all. Sasuke's father sent him away for the same reason…

I moved closer to him, sighing softly to myself. "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't know how you'd react and everything went so fast, I didn't even know how to approach it."

He nodded, gripping my hand tightly. "Love always strikes when you least expect it." I looked over at him and he was smiling, albeit, a bit sadly. "Next time, no secrets. I trust you and your judgment, Naruto. Remember? I'm your Dad, not your enemy."

"Prosecution calls Orochimaru to the stand." I looked back to where Orochimaru was standing, smirking and walking up to the podium. My eye narrowed in confusion. Did he not have a last name? Was he like Cher? How does he not have a last name? I don't understand.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the whole truth, so help you God?"

Psh, no. "Of course."

"Have a seat, please."

Unexpectedly, I was unhappy to see that the man I thought to be Orochimaru's assistant was actually his lawyer. Maybe he was both? Going to law school while part-time being incredibly evil. He looked far too young to already have a law degree of any kind. I mean, weren't most people who became big name lawyers at least in their thirties by the time they were practicing? And okay, to be fair, he had gray hair but let's be real about this, his face looked…Not even ten years older than mine. There was no way he'd be anything less than in college still.

Then again, I really know absolutely nothing about anything so he could be the Doogie Howser of lawyers.

His glasses shone in the light of the courtroom. "Orochimaru, can you state your professional occupation and experience for the court?"

"I'm an educator; I've been in the field of education for nearly thirty years and am a current Headmaster of a private academy." His voice sent chills down my back. There was a strange hiss-like quality to it that just screamed that he shouldn't be trusted. It made him more than creepy. Was I like the only person who noticed this? How could anyone trust their kids with a man who sounds like that?

"And what is your relationship with the defendant?"

"He attended my school; I was in charge of taking care of him and the student populous since it is a boarding school."

"So, it could be assumed you could take care of the defendant?"

"Objection." Jiraiya exclaimed, catching me off-guard and giving me a small heart attack. I actually jumped slightly, making Dad laugh under his breath. I glared at the side of his head. "Prosecution is leading the witness."

"Sustained; watch your questioning." The judge nodded over to Jiraiya.

Orochimaru's lawyer bit his lip slightly, nodding his head. "Orochimaru, could it be said with the experience you've gained that you'd be capable of taking care of the defendant?"

The silver-haired lawyer shot a glance over to Jiraiya. They seemed to be having a small eye-battle. Orochimaru nodded.

"Yes, I feel that I'd be perfectly capable of taking care of him. It would be just as easy for him to live with me as it was to live on the school's campus."

"The defendant, himself, has been analyzed by the court psychologist and recommends more treatment after the incident, are you aware of that?"

"Even if I wasn't aware, I wouldn't necessarily be surprised. Traumatic event, pressure from the media to tell the story and hear it numerous times. It would make anyone depressed." Oh God, I can see the game starting to play out here. My heart was beating loudly in my ears as though it was trying to drown out Orochimaru's words. "I may not have a degree in psychology but I have been formally trained, every year as a matter of fact, for loss and emotional counseling. I feel my guidance is necessary for Sasuke's less than savory issues."

"Issues?" My hands were clenching and unclenching as I sat there. They were trying to prey on my fears now. Show me Sasuke's less desirable traits, flaunt them in my face while they could. They needed my testimony of him to be negative so it would seem like I didn't want him in my house…In my life.

"Sasuke is what you could call…Promiscuous. More so than normal teens his age." Orochimaru said, his eyes darted over to my face. I wonder if anyone else could see the slight smirk on his face. "We have seen many cases where Sasuke has left his room and wandered into the rooms of other's at night…"

A projector was set up in the side of the room. The silver-haired lawyer pulled down a small display sheet and turned on the projector. The video was darken but I could see quite clearly what they wanted us to see. Sasuke walking down a hallway, knocking on doors, there would be a small time lapse, then he would leave. This happened few times, enough to make my stomach feel sick.

I knew I shouldn't dwell on what came before me but this was far from what I wanted to know. It wasn't just one door either. He visited a few. Sometimes the same one a few nights in a row. I shivered, my back feel like someone had dumped a bucket of ice down it.

There was one moment though, where Sasuke looked up towards the corner of the hallway, as if he knew Orochimaru was watching him and he just smirked into the camera, as if knowing that there was nothing Orochimaru could do to stop him.

It only made me feel worse.

Dad gripped my hand, making me look over. He gave an all-too-knowing glance. I needed to be strong. Not let my worries bleed to my face.

The show ended and Orochimaru's eyes trained on me for a moment. I felt even sicker with those hungry, angry eyes taking me in, mashing me up and down with haughtiness. I wanted to rush through the podium and wipe the smug look on his face.

"With my guidance, I had been hoping to erase those…More negative qualities of his. However, my counseling was cut short by the incident. With Sasuke in my care, I wished to mold him into a far more productive member of society."

"No further questions, your honor." The silver-haired man sat down, pulling out a small pad. Which I could only assume was for notes.

"Thank you, Mr. Yakushi." The judge nodded and looked over at Jiraiya. "Mr. Sannin, you may begin your cross-examination now."

Jiraiya nodded, standing up. He smiled at the judge, walking up to the podium, leaning against it. "It's been a long time, Orochimaru. It's good to see you, ya know?"

"Wish it had been different circumstances, I suppose. But yes, likewise Jiraiya. It's been a lifetime too long." Orochimaru was smirking.

"Orochimaru and I went to the same High School and then the same college, different departments but we knew each other." Jiraiya explained.

The judge didn't look too enthused. "We didn't come here for a High School reunion. Is there a point to this?"

"Yes, in fact, there is." Jiraiya turned back to Orochimaru. "We went to a public High school and that behavior, that uncontrollable sexual desire isn't at all what we could consider uncommon. We both know that, don't we? And you knew me very well in school to know that much. Sasuke's promiscuity isn't at all abnormal nor unreasonable in a young adult, especially at his age."

"It's quite unsavory for an educational establishment of such quality."

Jiraiya was smirking. "So, what you're saying is that your ideals on the subject of promiscuity are not of an objective nature?" If I could, I would have ran up there and gave Jiraiya the highest of fives. The flustered, taken back look on Orochimaru's face was nearly priceless. I almost laughed. It wasn't like he didn't even think about that as a counter-argument.

"Objection. He's badgering the witness." This 'Yakushi' guy said, standing up, a little flustered himself.

"Overruled. This question is in no way 'badgering'; answer Mr. Sannin's question, please." OHHH SNAP. DENIED. Maybe we had a better lock on this than I thought. I really had the idea this was going to be completely hopeless and that they had the best stacked case in the history of cases.

But then again, this is the first witness. I had no idea what else they could possibly drag out. I mean this case made it all they to this courtroom, after all.

"It seems as though my stance on promiscuity is a little biased towards my own opinions, yes. But that does not necessarily mean it will not lead Sasuke onto a darker path. If promiscuity isn't not kept in check, it can lead to emotional and relationship problems. Can't solve every major issue with sex, now can you?"

"By God, we can give it the old college try though, can't we?" Jiraiya was laughing a little but Orochimaru just looked incredibly unamused.

I shook my head after hearing that. Of course, Jiraiya, you just had to take it there. I massaged my temple slightly. This was going to be such a long trial if those kinds of jokes kept up.

"So, Orochimaru, I don't see a wedding ring, can we assume you're not married?"

"That would be correct. I'm not married."

"Any kids? Legitimate or otherwise?"

"No."

Jiraiya nodded. "I thought not. So tell me, Orochimaru, how exactly can you say that you can take care of Sasuke when you've never taken care of a child in a home setting?"

Well, its official, if I ever got in trouble for anything, I was going to call Jiraiya. I knew he was supposed to be good. But I never thought he could word slap someone so hard that they looked like they were going to throw up. I wish I could clap, just really show my admiration.

"I take care of an entire school full of children." Orochimaru immediately fired back; once the shock of the assertion wore off, he seemed to be back on his game.

"Yes, at a distance. You do not singularly provide for those children, you do not return home and continue to take care of them." Jiraiya pointed towards where my father and I were sitting. "Minato, on the other hand, has a child. Naruto and Sasuke are about the same age, and he could easily help Sasuke through his grief due to the loss of his late wife. To be fair to both of you, he sounds like the better opinion. No further questions your honor."

The judge nodded. "Next witness."

"Prosecution calls Uchiha Sasuke to the stand."

Dad and I straightened up, looking forward as Sasuke got up, muttering something to Itachi before he wandered up to the stand. A bible was set in front of him. He placed his left hand on top and raised his right. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the whole truth, so help you God?"

"Yes."

"Take your seat Mr. Uchiha."

Sasuke sat down behind the small microphone and next to the judge. I was kind of glad we didn't have to go through a jury trial for all of this. One judge would be hard enough to convince but a jury of twelve people? It wasn't hard to see why bribes would be helpful in those situations; illegal or not.

Orochimaru's lawyer was pacing in front of Sasuke; Sasuke seemed to be getting pretty annoyed with him since he had yet to ask Sasuke a question. Which I find very ironic because he was the one to call Sasuke up to the stand. If he wasn't ready for it, he should have called someone else. "Are we going to start any time soon? Or you going to pace there like an idiot the entire time?" Sasuke asked, his voice not hiding any of his venomous disposition.

The lawyer twitched slightly at the comment. I could hear Itachi's crack of laughter as he suppressed it, looking away from his brother.

The judge was looking down at Sasuke, shaking his head. "Mr. Uchiha, I know you must be tense but please give us enough time to go through the official proceedings. If you are not willing to be patient and continue to give unruly outbursts, I will not be afraid of throwing you into contempt."

"Fine, but will you please encourage him to continue?" Sasuke asked; the lawyer still was pacing around, not saying a single word. It was strange. Why hadn't he asked Sasuke anything? Weren't lawyers supposed to have arguments laid out and pit-falls already crafted? Was he just intimidated by Sasuke? I doubted it. Itachi was far scarier and he couldn't even walk.

"Yes, please Mr. Yakushi, please get this case started; Mr. Uchiha is quite right about that."

"Mr. Uchiha, will you please, start off by stating your official relationship with my client, Orochimaru?"

Sasuke leaned forward slightly. "Whilst I was attending private school, Orochimaru was my Headmaster."

"Would you say that he would have plenty of experience caring for children?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Just for the sake of clarification, I'm not a child. I'm an adult. And while I think that 'no', Orochimaru is not fit to take care of children, I will say 'yes' he's had experience doing so."

"Why do you say that Orochimaru is not fit to take care of children, Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Because, Orochimaru is narcissistic, self-interested, and generally exhibits sociopathic, stalker-like behavior."

"Really, Mr. Uchiha? We've asked other students to come forward who've had complaints. No one said that they have a problem with my client. At least none to which you refer."

Sasuke's clicked his tongue. "Fine, ask Uzumaki Naruto then. Or go subpoena Tsunade, the principal of my new school, if you think Naruto is too convenient. Either of them can attest to stalker-like behavior."

"You think very much Orochimaru is stalking you. But, as the record shows, you've unsuccessfully filed a restraining order against him. Why would you do that?"

"Well, I was hoping he'd never talk to me again but that was wishful thinking." Sasuke commented, completely dead-panned, looking straight at Orochimaru. "A restraining order would also allow me to permanently leave school grounds and return home."

"Could it just be the case that you were just homesick?" I couldn't help myself I laughed, just a small one cracked from my lips. I couldn't hold it back. The question itself was just…Stupid.

"I wasn't homesick. I agreed to go to a private boarding school; I knew exactly what that meant. But as the year progressed I became more and more uncomfortable at the school and yes, I wanted to go home but not because I missed being there."

"Were you having trouble at home, Sasuke?" I don't understand this sudden turn. Were they trying to set Sasuke up with this? I mean I understand the first line of reasoning; if Orochimaru was competent with taking care of another human being, he could take care of Sasuke. But this just seemed to be taking a strange turn. Why did it matter what Sasuke's home life was like? Were they trying to make him seem unreasonable emotionally and therefore invalid with his thoughts about what he wanted? Because I don't think touching on his home life would accomplish that…

"Speaking of family," Sasuke said suddenly, catching that Yakushi guy off guard, "are we just going to ignore the fact Orochimaru, the Headmaster of a school, did not tell me my parents were dead? Or that my brother was in the hospital and had been trying to contact me the moment he was conscious?"

"This matter has already been discussed, Mr. Uchiha. As unfortunate, and perhaps misguided as that was, Orochimaru did it for your interest, knowing you had to focus for exams. I believe you had been prepping for a college entrance exam at the time, no?"

Sasuke shook his head. His face was contorted with sheer and utter disgust. I bet mine was no different; it made me feel absolutely sick hearing reasoning like that. It shouldn't matter if you're in the middle of exams or working or on a trip, if your parents die and the people around you know, you need fucking tell that person so they can get their shit in order to grieve. "That's no excuse for what he did. He waited nearly WEEK to tell me. I was already finished with exams far before that. There was no reason…" Sasuke stopped mid-sentence. He'd probably argued about this more than enough. He was shaking his head.

"Obviously, there is a lot of understandable animosity between you and my client." This Yakushi guy didn't seem like a very good lawyer. I feel like if Orochimaru got up and did this examination himself, he would probably end up with better results. I don't know. "But, aside from the one incidence towards the end of your stay, all of your testimony towards my client seems…Out of place."

"Out of place?"

"Why, yes, Mr. Uchiha. As of right now, you've given a lot of emotional testimony without a full spectrum as to WHY you feel the way you do. Not to mention, you also have not given a shred of evidence to uphold your propositions during the arguments you make. Your claims do not follow a very well defined pattern; I do not doubt your answers leave this courtroom in wanting."

Sasuke's eyes suddenly widened and I felt sweat beading at the top of my forehead. He was right. Sasuke had been letting emotions get in the way. We had to PROVE everything that had been happening. How the fuck we were supposed to do that? This alone, practically shows Sasuke is over-emotional and cannot form rational arguments. SHIT. FUCK. That was so smart. Damn it, all. I thought he was shitty lawyer but god he proved me wrong, his questioning for Sasuke literally made him hit a wall of emotion.

When I hit the stand though, I was going to rattle this case to the baseboards. I would uphold everything Sasuke was saying.

"Also, Mr. Uchiha, it has been brought to the attention of the court you have been following through with your predatory, sexual habits. Even after leaving the campus..." The projector was still sitting where it had been for the first segment and Orochimaru's lawyer was fumbling with it for a few brief moments before the lights dimmed.

I was sweating a little more heavily now. Was this the other piece of video evidence Jiraiya had mentioned earlier? I had no idea what it possible could be, but all I did know was that there was a heavy assumption about WHO would be in this little film.

My dad was just staring at me, mouth hanging open.

And there it was. It was that day I thought I could forget. Sasuke stalked me in the hallways, stopping me short. He was all over me, lips and hands. I felt ice forming in my stomach, suddenly shooting up from my seat like I was about to vomit. My face was hot with shame and I stumbled slightly, pushing past my Dad.

"NARUTO, WAIT!" Sasuke called out from the podium but there was no way he'd be able to catch me by the time I had left the courtroom. I felt sick. Absolutely sick. Not because of what everyone would know about Sasuke and I. There was an obvious feel going on between us, I knew that. It was apparently…apparent. My dad knew, Itachi knew, Orochimaru knew…They all knew.

But it was there on the screen in front of everyone. An intimate moment shared by Sasuke and me, when we thought we were alone. And it was just on blast for everyone to see and judge, laugh at or be disgusted by.

We wear the mask that grins and lies, it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes. This debt we pay to human guile, with torn and bleeding hearts, we smile. Why should the world be over-wise…? (1)

When you're like me, like Sasuke, like my father, or Itachi…We live in the light. We smile when our hearts are torn out from our chests. We smile when our eyes are full of tears. We smile when the anger in our veins is so powerful we can't even see straight. So when the mask falls off and our humanity is the forefront of what people see, they judge us. We're celebrities. We are the mask we create. We live to betray what it is to be an idol. We are human. I am human.

And I have been shamed.  
>-<p>

**1. This is a quote from one of my favorite poems "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar. I cut it up a little to better fit the situation but fuck is it still powerful. **

**I'm sorry that this chapter is dialogue heavy but I mean we all kind expected this, right? Anyway, the next chapter will be the rest of Sasuke's testimony and cross-examination and let me tell you, shit is gunna get real soon as well. I know, like Hitoko-Sama, how could you make it even more dramatic?! Cause I'm the man.**

**Naruto: HOW COULD YOU!?  
>Me: I actually alluded to this happening in like chapter four, I think…<br>Naruto: WHAT?! YOU PLANNED ON BETRAYING ME FROM THE BEGINNING?!  
>Me: That is usually the idea, yes.<br>Sasuke: You're too fucking sneaky Hitoko-Sama.  
>Me: Thank you. I try to plan ahead as much as I can. THIS WAS HITOKO-SAMA! <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

You know that awkward moment where your life ends? You don't? Well, you probably didn't just have a room full of people see you getting busy in a hallway with your boyfriend then. And I wouldn't wish that kind of awkwardness on anyone. That's messed up man. I don't even know HOW someone could have gotten that video of us. My head hurt and so did my chest…

And somehow I felt even worse about leaving Sasuke in the courtroom, alone with what we had done. He was getting questioned about it while I sulked it out in the bathroom. I knew I should go back, especially after I embarrassed myself more by running away in the first place. I took a deep breath, looking at myself in the mirror. I needed to pull myself together. I was already fucking crumbling and Sasuke didn't need to worry about me on top of everything else. I turned on the faucet; the sound of the water running drowning out my thoughts.

Jesus, Uzumaki, pull your shit together. You needed to be there for Sasuke, the fucking love of your life. Splash some damn water on your face, do your best Uchiha stone wall impression, and walk your pansy ass back into that courtroom. They were going to use this against me when I got to the stand but I now needed to act like this didn't hurt me.

But how could I hide hurt like this?

That was supposed to be an intimate moment and it was just _shown_ like neither of our feelings didn't matter. Like we weren't even allowed to have single moment. What was the world coming to when intimacy wasn't even sacred?

I hated being a celebrity.

I heard the bathroom door behind me open but I didn't bother to look behind me. I didn't want to see whoever it was that entered the room. I stared at my reflection again, but before I could pull away, Sai was standing behind me, obscuring me in the shadow of his reflection.

I turned, snarling at him. He was smiling at me; this fucker had so much fucking explaining to do but I didn't want to hear a single word of it. I huffed, trying to pass by him. He grabbed onto my arm, effectively cutting me off as I tried to storm out. He was holding me pretty close to him. "Are you okay? I came to check on you, since Sasuke couldn't."

I wrestled free of his grip. "Oh yeah, sure, now you care about me!"

"Naruto, I've always cared about you."

I rolled my eyes. "Bullshit, dude. If you cared about me, you wouldn't be with Orochimaru's side right now."

"Naruto, I'm sorry about this. But you have to understand what kind of person Sasuke really is." Sai said, his eyes were filled with that pain again. I bit the inside of my lip, trying not to show my anger and sadness on my face. But who was I fooling? Sai knew I was upset. Everyone knew I was upset.

I wanted to punch him in the face. Just once. Just one good one across the cheek but I kept my fists at my sides. The last thing we needed was me getting into a brawl in the middle of the case. I didn't need to cause anymore unnecessary drama. There was enough of it to go around for a fucking life time without me taking a swing at Sai.

"I feel like the only person misunderstanding anything is you…" I muttered, shaking my head. I was full of too many emotions to deal with this shit. I was pissed, hurt, absolutely destroyed. I wanted to lie down on the floor and hide for the rest of my life. But I knew I had to swallow it all. I had to rebuild my mask, if not for myself, then for Sasuke. "You don't know what Sasuke is like. You're probably just taking Orochimaru's word for everything! Can no one see that he's just some creepy dude! For God's sake, he doesn't even have a last name! Doesn't that raise red flags for anyone?!"

"Naruto, you're rambling."

"You know exactly what I mean!"

I was getting fed up with his attitude and his mock care for me. He didn't care for me. He only cared about himself and how I rejected him for someone else. Itachi was right about Sai. He was going to be opportunist about this. Prey on me while I was vulnerable and try to get me to see his side of thinking. I glared down at the floor; my nails were digging into my palms but I ignored the pain as I tried to muscle past Sai again.

This time, he didn't bother to be gentle.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked; his tone sounded far from the comforting one he had adopted earlier. I shivered. "We're not done talking."

He pushed me against the sinks, my lower back hitting the counter roughly. I let out a gasp of pain and he leaned in immediately, attempting to kiss me. I shoved him roughly. He stumbled backwards, hitting one of the stalls behind him.

In that brief moment, I half-contemplated giving him an old-fashioned swirly. But decided he wasn't worth the trouble.

I suppressed my hiss of disgust as I moved to the door, practically throwing it open with rage.

Sai was on my heels, stomping after me. I picked up the pace, not letting him catch up with me as I pushed the doors to the courtroom open. But that's when I felt his hand on my arm. The door to the room opened as he tried to pull me back outside the room. Everyone had paused in the room to watch us. I was trying so hard right now. I had to use so much of my energy not to just reel back and punch him straight in the nose. I wanted to see his blood but as soon as he noticed that everyone was staring, he let me go. I probably looked unbelievably pissed off when I sat back down next to my father. He put a hand on my shoulder and I just grit my teeth. Sai took his seat, glancing back at me once before turning back around.

Sasuke was still on the stand, glaring Sai down and completely ignoring Orochimaru's lawyer. He seemed to be getting more and more annoyed as Sasuke refused to acknowledge him. His eyes brushed over to me. I could see softness they held, the apologies he wished to say. I nodded to him and Sasuke took his eyes off me and looked back at the Yakushi's face; he was scowling.

"Sasuke, are you ready to continue now?" He pushed the glasses up farther on his nose, trying and failing to hide his displeasure with the situation. Sasuke just nodded. "Based on what we've seen, it is clear you have a relationship with Uzumaki Naruto. But it seems as though in this relationship, you've gained some…Risqué behaviors."

"Oh?" Sasuke couldn't hold back his smirk. I didn't know why he was smirking like that in such a serious situation. It seemed like he couldn't help but toy with Orochimaru's lawyer. I felt like he was trying to get a big reaction out of him. Sasuke was good at pressing people's buttons in subtle ways. "And what might those be?"

"Well, obviously, from what we've seen, you're not just promiscuous…You're quite an exhibitionist. Not a very nice trait to have."

Sasuke had a mock innocence on his face. "I'd like to think of it more as me being…Impatient. If anything that was more like your typical PDA than anything that could be considered real, hardcore exhibitionism. I've seen worse things happen with more people around."

Orochimaru's lawyer was frowning. I don't think he understood just how stubborn on an issue Sasuke could be if he didn't want to be wrong about it. "Yes but this trial isn't about other people, is it? This is about you, Sasuke. And it seems that your behavior has derailed even farther from what society deems acceptable. At your private school, exhibitionism of that level was never displayed by you. Naruto seems to have very negatively influenced your actions."

Sasuke looked as though he was about to launch over the mic and strangle Orochimaru's lawyer. But somehow, Sasuke swallowed it down, face remaining pretty neutral. "If anything, I've negatively influenced his behavior. He has nothing to do with how I've been acting. He puts up with me."

"So, you can't control yourself, is that what you're saying?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all." Sasuke replied quickly, eyes narrowing. "In case you didn't figure it out by yourself, I thought we were alone. I know how to act in social contexts; I'm not stupid. What we were doing was not for public eyes."

"Either way, you were in public. And you're both public citizens." This Yakushi guy made me want to stand up and object. It annoyed me that Jiraiya wasn't saying anything, just writing things down. "You should understand that all of your actions, have consequences. Things like this are leaked all the time, whether or not the people involved in them are aware. As far as I'm concerned, you don't have a higher understanding of what is considered to be appropriate reactions in social context. And from what we've seen so far, you actually exhibited more acceptable behavior while you were separated from the Uzumaki household."

Sasuke was glaring him down, eyes burning with unspoken rage.

I rolled my eyes. All of this was such bullshit. I don't even understand why this was such a damn problem. If Sasuke doesn't want to go with Orochimaru, then he shouldn't have to. Just because he was there before doesn't mean he still needs to be there! This trial literally made me want to tear my hair out.

"It's even more interesting that even your father thought Orochimaru would be the best option for you. He must have seen this juvenile behavior while it was still in its infancy. That's why he named Orochimaru to take care of you, right?"

My eyes widened at that. Can we just rewind so I can ask a question? What the hell bullshit is that?

I looked over at my dad, he was frowning. I tugged at his sleeve to get his attention and he turned his head towards me. "Is what he just said true?" I said as quietly as I could, hand over my mouth.

Dad, much to my dismay, nodded. "You didn't know?" He sighed and shook his head. "That's why we're here, Naruto! There was a section in his Will about it. If Itachi was incapable of taking care of Sasuke, he named Orochimaru to do so. The reason why Itachi and I are suing is because of that clause in the Will. He wants me to take care of Sasuke while he's recovering. The fact of the matter is, as long as Itachi is injured, he cannot take care of Sasuke. And, yes, while it is true Sasuke would immediately go back to Itachi once he is better, there'd be an awkward waiting period between that. That would leave Sasuke in Orochimaru's care until he was ready to go to college, which is still a very large chunk of time. We thought it would be better if Sasuke was, at least, here so he wouldn't be isolated. It could take quite a few months for Itachi to get better. It's barely even October, Naruto. Itachi has been in and out of surgeries for almost an entire year because he was that bad off. Now that everything is placed again, the bones will finally heal properly. These court proceedings have been taking place for a very long time, Naruto." Dad was frowning even deeper as he added. "I'm surprised he didn't tell you…"

"He doesn't tell me a lot about this…" I whispered. I wanted to glare at Sasuke but the look on his face seemed absolutely explosive. I'd save the glaring for later when he wasn't about to snap Orochimaru's lawyer in half. "No one likes being reminded that you might be separated from your entire life."

Sometimes I had to really remind myself that this was practically life or death, in the not-so life and death sort of way. If we lost this case, we would lose Sasuke, for an indefinite amount of time. If we won, we wouldn't have to worry. But that was all riding on testimony and who says what and what argument is better for this or who had a better point about that. It really bothered me that Orochimaru couldn't just LET this go. Sasuke wanted to be with his brother and the way to do that was be with my father. All of this…it's pretty much petty squabbling about who can do a better job taking care of kid. Only he isn't really a kid. I let out a long sigh. If this court bullshit came down to some completely stupid call, I was just going to throw myself off a mountain.

"By your silence, I'm to assume, perhaps, I may have taken it over the line…" This Yakushi guy really does not know when to stop when he's ahead. "Your child-"

"You wanna know the real reason my dad was so _keen_ on Orochimaru?" Sasuke voice was loud with his bursting rage. The flower of wrath he had been nursing finally blooming, spreading red through his face and causing him to shake. I wanted to go up there and give him a hug so he could calm down but I know I couldn't, even if I felt myself twitching in my seat. I had to wait this out. "Because he runs a straight school. Put your gays in, get your brainwashed gays out. You think my dad didn't know about my feelings towards Naruto? He did. And as soon as he found out, he decided that I needed to be as far away from his _campaign_ as possible so I wouldn't embarrass him. God forbid, I be _gay_! It is pretty well known by now that…that…That his fucking school is a cover for an agenda!"

Oh god…Sasuke is going on a rage trip. Why does this happen? Why is this happening? I thought we were good people. I wanted to just throw him in a closet so he wouldn't say a single word more but I knew I'd lost him to the rage tangent. Nothing any of us could do would help him now. This was going to be such a problem later, I knew it. If Sasuke had allowed himself to speak to me about these issues, then he wouldn't have blown up on the stand like it was no big deal.

It was weird how he'd just suddenly explode like this…

I had to rest my head in my hands to keep myself from doing something stupid. Everyone just wanted to get Sasuke off the stand, Hell, I think even Orochimaru wanted him off there. But of course, we needed to cross-examine too. Sasuke, please, shut up. We do not need you being thrown into contempt and dragged away by a bailiff. That was supposed to be me who completely rages and loses it on the stand.

"I'm going to call a small recess." The Judge said suddenly. "Fifteen minutes before we pick back up with the cross-examination."

Thank you, Jesus.

Sasuke stomped off the stand, coming over to Itachi and Jiraiya. The older Uchiha was shaking his head but just opened up his arms, letting Sasuke come into them. He was muttering something against Sasuke's scalp as my dad nudged me to get moving. Apparently we needed to have yet another conference with the Uchiha family. I leaned over one of the pews, head popping up between Jiraiya and Itachi's wheelchair. "What the hell are you doing?" I said, a little too harshly.

Sasuke perked his head up, frowning. "I know, I lost my composure. He was just really pissing me off."

"Teme, if that's how you, the far more composed of the two of us is going to act, then I'm going to have no restraint when I leap over that mic and strangle the shit outta that guy." My thumb tilted as I point it towards Yakushi. I don't even bother looking back because I know they're all congregated together, smirking over Sasuke's meltdown.

"Well it didn't help that Sai followed you out…" Sasuke muttered, darkly. "What did he say to you anyway?"

"I'm not in a jail cell, so it couldn't be too bad, right?" I said with a large smile. "Don't worry about it. He was just being an asshole. I mean, I almost gave him a swirly. But I didn't because I'm a mature adult."

Itachi chuckled and Jiraiya was shaking his head, not hiding the smile on his lips. Sasuke was still a little huffed up, obviously not pleased that I had almost had to resort to physical violence against Sai in the first place.

"Hn."

"Sasuke, listen, the judge is going to make the final decision up there. And while I was able to get a shift in opinion about Orochimaru, I don't know how well I'll be able to cover your ass." Jiraiya stated matter-of-factly. "You gave no valid reasoning, were very over-emotional, and were almost thrown into contempt by the start of questioning. It is already apparent that he's going to rule you're not going to be emotionally stable enough to make your own decisions. But I need to do a hell of a lot of damage control for you, to make it seem like Kabuto's line of questioning was exuberantly targeted towards getting an emotional reaction."

"Why didn't you just object then?" I asked, not hiding the annoyance in my voice. "If he was out of line, you should have called him on it."

"Well, I didn't call him out because the questions themselves were fine." Jiraiya fired back, pinching my cheek and pulling me closer. "Don't underestimate me, I've been a lawyer for more than twenty years."

"Jeez, okay. I get it." I rubbed the sore spot forming on my cheek.

"We still have the phone records." Itachi muttered, tapping a small stack of papers on the table they were sitting behind. "It will give solid evidence about Orochimaru's harassment. Validating Sasuke's stalker complaint."

"I know but it won't erase Sasuke's attitude and comments. I mean, he went on the gay agenda tangent."

"Looking back, that was actually kind of funny." I commented, receiving a few well-placed glares. Even dad didn't looked pleased. "Whatever, when this all blows over, it's going to be funny."

"He was pissing me off! He doesn't know anything about why I was sent to that school!" Sasuke defended, crossing his arms and puffing himself up. "It's infuriating; he doesn't even know what he's talking about."

"Calm down, Sasuke." Itachi said with a soothing voice, gently holding Sasuke's hand. He seemed to calm immediately. "When I get up on the stand, I can corroborate some of what you've been saying. I was there after all. Just be patient and keep your cool."

"I doubt Jiraiya is going to make me want to strangle him."

"Orochimaru looked like he wanted to strangle him, so you can't be sure." I interjected.

"Yeah, good times. I thought he was going to cry when I said that thing about having kids. Man, hit him low." I patted Jiraiya on the shoulder as he smiled widely.

"Okay, so now we have a semblance of a plan." Itachi clapped his hands together, somewhat weakly. "Now, anything else anyone wants to say?"

"I wonder who got that video of us…" Sasuke muttered. "I anticipated the boarding school video but not the other one. How are you…Holding up about it?" Sasuke's eyes took hesitant glances at me and I shrugged.

"I was shocked." I muttered. "It caught me off-guard."

"I think everyone was shocked." Dad commented, smiling sheepishly. "That was definitely something I never thought I'd see."

"Dad, not helping." I said icily. "You're alright about it?"

Sasuke half-shrugged, half-nodded. "Nothing I could do to stop it. I probably had a pretty interesting looking face when they showed it."

"You actually looked kind of proud like 'yep, me and my man.'" Itachi was smiling at Sasuke and the younger Uchiha didn't look pleased. "But that was after your initial 'ahhh' face."

"Are you still high?" Sasuke pouted, arms crossing over his chest.

"No. I had to stop taking the medication so I could legally testify."

"Luckily for the two of you, that was the last of their video evidence." Jiraiya sat back, resting against the bench. "Everything else is probably going to be testimony and a few scraps of paper evidence."

"Alright, anything else?"

"Yeah one more thing."

Everyone looked at me in our small circle.

"Who the fuck is Kabuto?" I asked, my nose scrunching up.

"Orochimaru's lawyer."

"Ohhhh."

"Dobe."

"Oh, whatever, Teme, he said Kabuto I had no idea who the hell he was talking about." I defended shaking my finger at him. "How am I supposed to know all this?"

"Hn." Sasuke was smirking, leaning over Itachi's shoulder, giving me a small kiss. "Alright, Sai is looking slip me some tongue."

"What? No." The flush crept up my face faster than I anticipated it would as I glared back at Sasuke. "Did you forget about everyone else who's looking?"

"I don't want to make them mad, so yes."

"Absolutely not."

"Dobe."

"Teme!"

"Sasuke, you and Naruto can suck face when we're done for the day." Itachi muttered, massaging the space between his eyebrows. "Just head up to the stand with Jiraiya."

Sasuke 'tsk'ed as he headed back towards the stand, Jiraiya following after him. Everyone was settling down and quieting as Sasuke sat back down, looking up at Jiraiya who was looking at Orochimaru. He leaned in, covering the mic as he whispered something to Sasuke. He raised an eyebrow and then just nodded. I wonder what that was all about. I wished he hadn't covered the microphone so well so I could have heard it. But then again, it was probably something super top secret.

Man, everyone has too many secrets.

After a few more moments of people mumbling and taking their seats, we began again. I sat back in my seat, slouching down as I continued to watch his giant charade.

"Are you ready to begin?" Asked the judge, looking down at Sasuke with an almost peevish look.

"Yes."

"If you please, Mr. Sannin."

Jiraiya smiled widely. "Sasuke, you've made some very bold claims in this room about Orochimaru and I know we cannot take them fully seriously because, as the prosecutor asserted, you have no evidence. But that isn't necessarily true, is it?"

"No, it's not. Orochimaru has been harassing me since I left the school." Sasuke said, an almost annoyed look on his face as he tried not to glare in Orochimaru's direction.

Jiraiya walked over to the desk and held up a paper. "Do you know what I have here?"

"If I'm correct then those are my cell phone records and some screenshots of text messages. All of which I've received from Orochimaru." Sasuke looked triumphant.

Jiraiya looked over the papers, shaking his head. "During the month of February he called you more than one hundred times. That's more than three times a day…Which, to me, seems a fair bit excessive. As a professional, Orochimaru should know, especially after times of trauma, that being with the family is the most important. You were back home at this time, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

Jiraiya looked at the records again. "It also seems you were also called by Orochimaru's personal cellphone more than a few times during this time period. That also seems a bit strange."

"Like I've been saying, it is harassment. I've answered his calls before and none of the conversations we've had were about my mental state or for the condolences for my parents or brother. He would mostly question me about when I was returning to the school, even after I filed for an official leave."

"And when exactly did you file for leave?"

"I filed for leave around the middle of February. School was less important than my family." Sasuke muttered, eyes narrowing. "I was a year ahead anyway; the leave was supposed to be until the following academic year."

"Did Orochimaru know about this leave?" Jiraiya asked, smirking.

"Yes, he had to know. He was the one who had to sign off on it." Sasuke's voice was filled with something akin to rage. "I would have been on leave sooner if I hadn't have had to file multiple times."

Jiraiya nodded. "How many times did you file for leave?"

"Three." Sasuke breathed, anger in the pulse of his voice. "It took three different attempts to get my leave."

Jiraiya paced in front of the stand, shaking his head even more. "Why do you think it took so many attempts? Could you have filed out the paper work incorrectly the first two times?"

"Orochimaru was the one who told me how to fill out the application after he informed me about my parents. If I filled it out incorrectly, it would have been because of his faulty instruction on the matter. The third time I had a family lawyer fill out the paper work for me and if it was rejected the third time, we were prepared to sue so that I could be officially removed from classes. My grades were suffering because I was not attending class and his refusal to remove me from the roster officially would have been very detrimental to my applications for colleges."

What a sneaky motherfucker. I don't doubt he incorrectly told Sasuke how to fill out all the forms. This is such bullshit. I don't even know if I can repeat this enough. I'm getting so frustrated. How can the judge just sit there and just NOT already have a decision about who Sasuke should live with? It made absolutely no sense.

Maybe I should just hire an assassin to take care of Orochimaru…?

Nah, dad would never go for that.

"Do you mind if we talk about a little more personal topic?" Jiraiya asked, softness in his tone as he put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. His eyes looked big and innocent when he glanced up at Jiraiya, nodding his head. I wonder if he told Sasuke to put on a show for the judge and show that he was cooperative when the lawyer didn't immediately jump in his face. Like Kabuto…That fuck.

I should get an assassin for him too.

"So, you're having sex with my god-son?" Jiraiya laughed and I was halfway ready to get up and throw him out the window. WAS THERE NO OTHER, MORE DELICATE, WAY TO PHRASE THAT QUESTION?

"Yeah, that's right." Sasuke looked somewhat smug as he folded his arms over his chest. I was seriously going to punch both of them. I was going to do it. HOW COULD THEY BOTH ME SO SMUG AND EHH ABOUT IT!? THIS IS MY BUISNESS TOO!

Dad grabbed my arm, holding my arm with the most iron of grips. Damn him for knowing me. Damn him straight to Hell. He was smiling nervously. And just for him, I wouldn't make a scene. He was lucky I loved him so much. Sasuke and Jiraiya better watch their backs though, I knew where they both lived. I could hire even MORE assassins if need be.

"You've stopped fighting then, right?"

"We haven't had a physical fight in quite some time, yes." Sasuke looked around Jiraiya and smiled at me, before turning his attention back. I half-expected him to wink at me like we have some kind of secret as to why we don't fight. Can't exactly throw a punch when you're dick deep in someone. Well, I guess you could but I don't see why you would want to. "Since I arrived at his house, he's been nothing but kind to me. Even before we officially engaged in relationship conduct, he cared a great deal for me, making sure I felt accommodated in my new school and that I was okay emotionally. I liked it because he pitied me but he never made a big deal about it; he didn't treat me as though I was about to fracture into pieces. He just acted normally. It was nice."

"He's a sweet kid, that one. Minato raised him right." Jiraiya was smiling as he looked back at me. Damn straight dad raised me right! "And what about Minato himself? Do you enjoy living with him?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes, Minato has also been very kind to me. A couple months after the accident he gave me the offer to move in. He wasn't just being sympathetic because of the accident; he genuinely cared. At first I was a little reluctant but he never pressured me into a decision and told me he would be there if I ever wanted to talk or needed anything. He never pursued any issue with me if I didn't want to. After everything that happened, I can say that moving into their household has really helped me."

"Is there any particular reason you didn't move in sooner?"

"Itachi wasn't getting better. That was the main problem. And I knew, after a few months, that I needed to think of somewhere more permanent and start school again. Minato still said his doors were open to me so, of course, I decided that it was time I took him up on his offer."

"So you would very much prefer to live with Minato while your brother recovers?"

"Yes I would."

"I have no further questions, your honor."

The judge nodded looking out over at Kabuto who was muttering something to a very unhappy seeming Orochimaru. "Mr. Yakushi, are you ready to proceed with the next set of testimony?"

He pulled back from Orochimaru, smiling softly and nodding. "Yes, I would like to call Minato Namikaze to the stand."

Dad stood up, smiling down at me as he patted me on the shoulder. He moved quietly as Sasuke left the stand. They brushed past each other as Sasuke opted to come out to the pews and sit next to me, taking my dad's spot. He leaned over, giving me a small kiss on the forehead. I found his hand, holding it in my lap as my dad held his hand out and took his oath. He didn't seem nervous.

But he had created a mask long ago. His mask wasn't like Sasuke's or mine. He knew exactly what to say and how to act. Dad has been in the limelight for a very long time. And maybe, with any luck, some of the craft he used to create his mask with strengthen the one I wear.  
>-<p>

**And that's where I'm going to end it today. Sorry about the super short chapter...And I know, like I said, these next few chapters are going to be very heavily dialogued. In the next chapter though, I believe I'm going to have the trial take a break.**

**Naruto: We're sooooo gunna win this trial  
>Me: yeah, yeah. We'll see how it progresses. You forget, Itachi, Sai, and you have all yet to testify. I have a few things to throw wrenches.<br>Naruto: Don't.  
>Me: I NEED DRAMA!<br>Naruto: Stop.  
>Me: Absolutely not. This was Hitoko-sama. <strong>


	10. Hiatus

I know what you guys are thinking seeing this and not a real chapter update. Oh no, Hitoko-sama's going to abandon this story. Well, you're wrong. That wasn't the plan. To be honest, I haven't really liked the direction this story has been going for a while because there are…Just hella plot holes. And they really need to be fixed. And if you were kind enough to ignore these holes and go along with it, good for you. I can't, anymore. So, for now, this story is going to be on hiatus until I figure out what I need to do to fix everything. Like, I'm going to have to fix the setting(that's just the start) And I will come back to this story, I'll be making progressive, re-done updates every so-often, which is actually easier than just writing a new chapter so…I'll get to it.

I'm really sorry for the people expecting a chapter and got this instead. I know a lot of you will say it's fine, but, it's really not. There are just some things that really can't be ignored. And I really need to fix them if this story will ever work.

So until everything is re-planned and written to fit, this story won't be getting a new chapter.

Hitoko-Sama


End file.
